


The Lost Adventures of Mai

by Eeva21



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ba Sing Se, Fire Nation Circus, Multi, Omashu, Romance, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eeva21/pseuds/Eeva21
Summary: Set during the show, this story follows Mai starting from her first day in Omashu where her parents, who had been hoping for her to become the Fire Lord's wife but not any longer because of Zuko's banishment, try to set her up with another guy.In Ba Sing Se, reunited with Azula and Ty Lee after taking the Earth Kingdom over, she reconnects with an infuriating face she met in Omashu. And through all of this, she begins to wonder what rebelling against Azula will cost.
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 40





	1. Omashu, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> i watched atla over self-isolation and (from everything i saw on tumblr and stuff) i thought my favourite character was going to be zuko. he crossed off all the traits my favourite characters usually do: they're the bad boy type and are initially on the bad side but then eventually turn good
> 
> however, i was not expecting mai. i hadn't heard anything about her in passing but...she's my favourite character in atla now after zuko (sorry dude)
> 
> anyway, i decided to write about what happened to mai in omashu and ba sing se just 'cause. enjoy!

Mai would, honestly, rather go pick a fight with a female saber-toothed moose lion protecting its baby. At least _that_ would be exciting. A life or death experience was what she was craving. That was how badly she wanted to get out of here. She’d been living in Omashu for less than a day and already she wanted out.

She thought a change of scenery would be exciting. Omashu was supposed to be a great place. But, instead, it was just as bleak as the Fire Nation. Maybe even worse because everyone was deathly frightened of her family. As they should, but that wasn’t the point.

It didn’t help that her fussy mother wouldn’t let her go anywhere by herself without a band of guards shadowing her every move. Or that, when she didn’t want to go out, she was stuck with babysitting Tom-Tom. It wasn’t _her_ fault her parents decided to have another kid 13 years after having their first. Maybe they planned it like that so they could have a built-in babysitter.

Mai threw a knife at the wall. It landed perfectly between the eyes of the Fire Lord Ozai tapestry in one of the many living rooms in the Royal Palace. Tom-Tom, sitting next to her on the couch clapped and giggled as if she had told a hilarious joke. Then, he promptly stuck a little rattle toy in his mouth.

It was that moment that her mother decided to sweep into the room, a couple of guards trailing behind her and posting themselves outside the doorway. She frowned at the tapestry, plucked the knife out with little effort, and exchanged it for Tom-Tom who she pulled up into her arms. “Mai, that’s the third tapestry since we got here. If you’re looking for some training, I’m sure the guards or soldiers wouldn’t mind if you did some out in the courtyard with them.”

Mai met her mother’s glare cooly and ignored the nervous glances the two guards gave each other in the doorway. “Maybe,” she said with an apathetic shrug of her shoulders. The so-called guards that were supposed to protect them from the resistance and other threats were no more than burly brutes who probably wouldn’t last a minute against the resistance. They were too slow, too over-confident. She could beat them easily.

Her mother looked at Mai again with an inescrutable look. As if she was trying to figure her out. “Alright. Well, the banquet is starting in an hour, go get ready.” Then, she bounced Tom-Tom up higher in her arms and left the living room, taking one of the guards with her.

Mai sighed and returned her knife back into her sleeve. She glanced over at the tapestry of Fire Lord Ozai with a gash between his eyes. It would most likely be replaced within the hour.

What she wouldn’t do to punch that man in the eye. What kind of man—what kind of _father_ —fought his 13 year old son in an Agni Kai? Perhaps she was biased on the issue. But what did it matter? It would be like if she decided to use Tom-Tom as target practice.

Mai began to make her way to her room, trying to remember Zuko’s face and wondering how much he’d grown. He’d be 16 about now, off travelling with his Uncle who always tried, and failed, to make her laugh.

She blinked rapidly and shook the thoughts of Zuko out of her head. What was she? Some love-sick kid, pining for a guy who probably only saw her as another sister? Perhaps the _better_ sister.

After years of being apart from Zuko for so long, she had come to the conclusion that yes, she still had a crush on him but no, she wouldn’t be upset if he ended up with someone else. Zuko had to want her too. Relationships didn’t work if they were one-sided.

Mai always thought Zuko dating a waterbender would be rather poetic—someone to put out his fire and calm him down a little.

Mai glanced out at Omashu through a window as she passed one. Fire Nation workers were beginning to make changes to the city—to make it “better”. Scaffolding littered the streets and the sinking sun beat down against the little green-roofed houses.

Mai strolled into her room, shutting it with a loud _click_. Her room here in Omashu wasn’t nearly as big as her one back home in the Fire Nation but that was to be expected. It was nice, she supposed, with a large bed, dresser, closet, desk, and en suite. She even got her own private balcony which she had requested earlier.

A dress was already set out on her bed and Mai inspected it. The sleeves and skirt were long which was nice—she could hide her weapons.

The banquet was celebrating Omashu’s surrender. A bunch of generals and Fire Nation nobility would be attending and it would be utterly _boring_.

Mai began undressing and putting on the heavy, red, material. It was almost _too_ thick for an indoors banquet. But _whatever_.

She glanced at herself in the mirror and bared her teeth. It was going to be a long night full of old men congratulating themselves.

***

“...And I started to learn the tsungi horn. It’s much harder to learn than it seems but sounds really cool and pretty, y’know?” Hinata continued at the table next to Mai. “I started learning Four Seasons and I almost have it memorized. That's how much I play it.”

Mai nodded listlessly, chewing quietly on her rice.

“I also tried picking up the erhu but it hurts my fingers. I know that it will get easier when calluses form but my hands just can’t stand it. When I was younger my parents actually put me in pipa classes when I was younger,” Hinata rambled on. He had barely touched his food, he was talking so much.

Hinata was one of the only Fire Nation nobility her age Mai could stand. She wasn’t counting Ty Lee. While he was chatty, he was an overall okay person. Mai didn’t have a strong opinion on him and that was better than her opinion on everyone else.

He talked a lot and didn’t expect Mai to contribute. He didn’t even ask her any prodding questions about her life. Mai didn’t see him often but she wouldn’t be surprised if they crossed paths more regularly going forward now that she was older and her parents were thinking about her future more.

“I hear that General Iroh is a great tsungi horn player,” Hinata said, finally putting a dumpling in his mouth. “I wonder if I’ll ever get to hear him play. I bet his sound is _impeccable_.”

Zuko was also skilled at playing it. “I’m sure he’d love an audience,” Mai said, glancing down at her food and poking a dumpling with her chopsticks. _Vegetable or duck?_

“It must be boring out there on the sea searching for the Avatar who hasn’t been seen in 100 years. I mean, it must feel like a lost cause by now.”

Mai dipped her dumpling in the sauce and popped it in her mouth. She frowned. _Vegetable_ . Finding the Avatar probably _was_ a lost cause but she did hope that Zuko found them just so he could return to the Fire Nation.

“But anyway, last week, at a party I went to there was this cool band that’s beginning to make a name for themselves. They’re called the Flamey-Os. Pretty good too…”

After the meal, Mai took her place standing with her parents as they spoke to the guests. _This is so stupid_ , Mai thought. What was the point of celebrating when there wasn’t even a _fight_ ? King Bumi surrendered at the first sign of attack. It wasn’t like taking Omashu was this massive military feat. _Anyone_ could have taken it and it would have had the same outcome.

Mai glanced out the window at the setting sun and suppressed a sigh. Banquets were always dull. Her job was to sit with her family, listen to the men boast, eat, and nod her head. Like she was some kind of puppet. Usually, when she was standing with her parents, she let her mind wander while keeping her ears in the conversation in case someone _did_ want her to say something.

Mai blinked and she shifted her weight to her left foot. Her father was currently talking about the exact mechanics of acquiring Omashu and Mai had to force herself not to roll her eyes. She wondered how many people here knew King Bumi surrendered and how many people thought that her father won a great battle with some of the toughest earthbenders.

At a lull in the conversation, Mai bowed her head and excused herself. She had attended a myriad of banquets and balls that she had excusing herself and faking sick down to a science.

Faking sick was a more complex task as it required more acting and was more long-term. She also had to pick and choose which banquets she did and didn’t want to attend. She couldn’t fake illness every night a banquet occurred. Her parents probably thought she had a weak stomach.

Excusing herself, on the other hand, was much easier. All she had to do was return to her parents in under ten minutes and not execute it too often. Her parents thought she had a small bladder.

Mai breathed out a sigh of relief as she exited the main banquet hall. She walked easily through the silent hallways, taking her time and looking out the windows. Curfew was enacted so the streets were completely empty except for the occasional patrol.

She made her way to the farthest bathroom that she dared and clicked the door shut. She glanced at herself in the mirror and fixed a misplaced hair.

“For Yangchen's sake, Rin, stop looking behind you.” It was a girl’s voice, nearing the bathroom. Her voice was a hushed whisper. “All we have to find is the guy’s office!”

Mai frowned. No Rin’s were attending the banquet and no guards with that name were on duty.

She swept out of the bathroom and came face to face with two kids around her own age who looked to be brother and sister. The two of them were dressed in bright red outfits that were not suitable for a banquet. Mai raised her eyebrows. 

Her initial thought was that the girl reminded her of Zuko. She couldn’t really explain it but it was something in the way she held herself.

The two kids froze and Rin’s eyes looked like they were ready to pop out of his head. The girl looked like a cat deer caught in lights.

Mai looked the two of them up and down. Did the resistance have teenagers in their rank? It seemed highly improbable but definitely not impossible.

“What are you doing?” The girl demanded. Her shoulders were up by her ears and looked frantic.

Mai shrugged and breezed past them. These children weren’t her problem. She wasn’t a guard on patrol.

“Well aren’t you going to say anything?” The girl tried again. 

Mai wasn’t sure if she was looking for a fight or not. Without turning around, she said “my father’s study is heavily guarded so I wouldn’t suggest breaking in. And you don’t even _pass_ for Fire Nation nobility,” she added in with a bored voice before continuing on her way.

She didn’t look back as she turned back into the banquet hall.

Hinata was at the doorway as Mai walked through. He smiled brightly and Mai tried to remember whether Ty Lee dated him before. She didn’t think so, which was odd in two ways. One, she usually could remember things well but Ty Lee’s dating life was more complex than keeping all six of her siblings straight. Two, Ty Lee had had brief relationships with almost all the nobility her age in the Fire Nation and then some outside of the Nation.

Ty Lee had always possessed the approachability attribute that Azula envied and Mai never wanted anyway. Boys and girls flocked to Ty Lee, however, and she seemed to cast a spell on them to make them like her even more.

Mai didn’t dwell on this for too long because Hinata soon began talking about his favourite brand of flaming fire flakes and how some of the brands weren’t even that spicy and were false advertising. “I mean, I went to a Fire Nation colony and their fire flakes were more like _bland_ flakes. However, I did have some fire flakes from one vender and it _literally_ made my tongue go numb.”

She quickly glanced over at her mother who was watching them carefully for approval. When her mother nodded with a small smile, Mai turned back to Hinata. She could talk about fire flakes all day, as long as she didn’t have to listen to her father’s conversations.

***

The next morning, everything seemed to be in order. Mai assumed Rin and his sister abandoned whatever plan they had when she caught them. There were no reported break-ins, and nothing missing from her father’s study. Her mother seemed like her usual self—if not a little nosy to know what she and Hinata were talking about the night before which was nothing too interesting.

She still wondered whether the two kids were a part of the resistance. Either they were, and she had an obligation to tell her father, or they weren’t, and they were harmless.

But, then again, Mai assumed the resistance would plan better than sending two teens, alone, into the Royal Palace with the wrong outfits. The more she thought about it, the more likely it was that they were independent from the resistance.

She didn’t bother too much thinking about them, though—what good did it do?

“Mai, I was thinking you should go for a walk,” her mother suggested after breakfast, sitting in one of the living rooms while she attended to Tom-Tom.

Mai internally sighed. It had been awhile since she’d been forced out of the house. For a moment, she wondered what would be happening while she was out, but Mai quickly disregarded it. “Fine.”

“Come back around lunch and we’ll have some smoked sea slug,” she said with a small smile. “I know you like them.”

Mai stood up and exited the living room, her stomach churning at the thought of eating sea slug. She hadn’t liked it since she, Azula, and Ty Lee had had a smoked sea slug eating competition and she ended up puking it all up later that night. Even thinking about that night made her feel like vomiting.

As she stepped outside, one of the guards approached her and bowed. “Would you like to use the palanquin, Miss?”

While Mai usually liked seeing her guards suffer as they lifted her from place to place, she didn’t really want to do that today. The palanquin was more Azula’s style anyway. She much rathered a carriage.

Mai shook her head and didn’t wait for the four guards to surround her before walking down the stairs.

All around her, workers were beginning to modify Omashu. The familiar pollution she was used to in the Fire Nation was beginning to circle the city and she wrinkled her nose slightly.

Omashu was bustling with people and shoppers and looked so different from the Fire Nation. Mai wondered whether it was necessary to assimilate each and every new colony. Did they really have to make Omashu Capital City 2.0?

Mai continued on, aware of the civilians eyeing her nervously and giving her a big berth of space. She continued through the city, observing Omashu’s architecture.

The only thing she could criticize was that there was little grass and greenery—it was all stone and earth. Which made sense but Mai wanted to see some green that wasn’t roofing.

She made her way to the bottom of the mountain where the thick metal gate was and Fire Nation soldiers were standing on guard.

Mai drew nearer and nearer to the gates, determinedly keeping her pace up and glaring at the metal wall.

One of the guards at the gate seemed to step forward, uncertainly, before catching a glimpse of Mai and her four personal bodyguards. The guard sent the signal and the metal gates screeched open just slightly, giving Mai and her entourage enough room to walk through.

And then they were outside of the gates and Mai didn’t know it was possible to miss trees and grass so much. This would be a nice day if not for the four guards carefully eyeing around as Mai made her way across the gorge.

“Miss, I don’t think you’re—“ one of the guards next to her began once they were across the stone bridge.

Mai glanced over at him, keeping her face expressionless. Honestly, couldn’t anyone let her have some kind of fun trapped behind Omashu’s walls?

The guard snapped his mouth shut.

Mai continued walking, following the small path, relishing the unpolluted air and peacefulness of it all.

That was when Mai heard the child crying. It was a wailing-like sound and couldn’t be mistaken for anything but a child.

The four guards around Mai stopped in their tracks and glanced between one another.

Mai forged ahead, following the sound of the crying which had, for a moment, ebbed away before it came back with even more fervor.

“Miss! Miss!” The guards exclaimed, rushing to remain in position. “We should head back now to Omashu—“

“It’s obviously a child. What harm can a baby do?” Mai rolled her eyes. She didn’t know why she continued following the crying. Maybe she was so intent on doing _something_ not boring for a change.

The crying grew louder as Mai continued and soon she was in front of the mouth of a cave. Above the entrance was carved “The Lovers’ Cave”.

Mai listened for the crying again which had momentarily stopped and when it did, it was coming from inside the cave.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Miss,” the same guard from before warned.

Mai stepped into the cave. “Good thing I didn’t ask you. Pass me a touch.” She held out her hand.

The guard reluctantly lit one and passed it to her.

The tunnel was large and open and, as they continued through it, Mai wondered what this was and why she hadn’t heard of it before.

While she knew that most of what she learned in the Fire Nation was propaganda and not the whole truth, she thought she would have seen something about The Lovers’ Cave in passing.

Mai stopped at a split and blinked slowly. A maze?

“We should really—“ one of the guards in front of her began but Mai breezed past him, going down the left passage.

They went left at the next split then right then left again before Mai finally laid eyes on the toddler who was standing in the middle of the massive tunnel, tears streaming down her face.

Mai glanced around and couldn’t see where the child’s guardians could possibly be. They were at a dead end.

The little girl kept on bawling and Mai grimaced at it. Spirits above, what kind of monster parent did this?

The guards glanced between her and the little girl, as if asking her what to do. Mai turned to the guard behind her and raised an eyebrow. “Are you any good with children?”

“Yes, but—“

“Good. Pick her up or something and let’s get out of here.” She had a bad feeling about this place.

The guard slowly walked over and bent down so he was eye level to the child. The kid was obviously from Omashu. How she got out from the gates, Mai had no clue. She couldn’t have come alone so there was definitely at least one other person here in this labyrinth.

“Hey, little kid,” the guard cooed slowly, extending an arm out. The child sniffed and, miraculously, stopped crying. “Do you want to go home?” The guard continued. He brought his other arm out too and was smiling slowly.

When the child nodded, the guard picked her up in his arms. “She’s kinda cute,” he finally said, bouncing her in his arms.

Mai scoffed and turned back around, beginning to leave and exit the maze. She thought back to the smoked sea slug and decided to buy something to eat on the way back.

They passed the first two turns when they suddenly found themselves at a dead end.

Mai stared at the rock for a long moment, going through their path in her head. Left, left, right, left. That was the way they had gone in. So, they should have gone right and right again. Yet, here they were at a dead end.

“That doesn’t make sense,” the guard in the front stated.

Mai rolled her eyes. “No kidding.” She couldn’t have remembered their path wrong. But, Mai turned around again to go down the left path anyway even though she was sure they hadn’t walked that way.

“Is it possible that the walls are moving?” The same guard asked worriedly.

Mai scoffed and didn’t even say anything. These tunnels looked like they were created _hundreds_ of years ago.

They ended up at another dead end and turned around again, deciding to take the original way out. This time, when they got to the originally dead end tunnel, it was clear.

Okay, so maybe the walls _were_ moving. 

“Bleeding hog monkeys,” one of the quieter guards swore.

“Let’s get out of here,” Mai snapped, picking up her pace. She carefully grazed the edge of her knife under her sleeve.

The next tunnel wasn’t blocked up and that was when they heard more voices behind them.

“I thought you were supposed to be watching her!”

Mai spun on her heel. It was the girl from last night she saw sneaking into the Royal Palace.

“Mom said you were supposed to watch her.” Mai guessed it was accurate to assume that that was Rin.

“Are you defending the patriarchy?”

“You know I’m not.”

The guards glanced over at Mai then back to the voices which were slowly becoming louder, clearly wondering whether they should continue on.

“Well it definitely seems like it,” the girl shot back and then they came into Mai’s view and stopped. This time, however, they didn’t seem fearful to see her like last night. The girl scowled. “Oh, it’s you.”

Mai gestured to the child in one of her guards’ arms. “That one yours?” She looked close to being asleep.

Rin’s eyes lit up. “Noki!” And he rushed forward.

The three other guards shifted into a defence position but Mai raised her hand. “They’re harmless Omashu civilians,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

The girl straightened right up and bunched up her hands into fists. She barely came up to Mai’s neck. “I’ll show you how harmless I am, ashmaker.” She spat on the ground.

Mai shrugged.

At this point, Noki had been given back to Rin and she was awake once again, pulling on Rin’s short hair. She turned back around to leave.

“You won’t find your way out,” Rin suddenly piped up.

“Don’t help the _enemy_ ,” the girl growled at her brother.

“She could have left Noki alone,” Rin said.

Mai swivelled back around again boredly. “And I could have told my father about last night too.”

The girl gritted her teeth. Rin continued. “You have to put out your torch and then luminescent stones in the ceiling will show the way out because the badgermoles change the tunnels.”

Mai narrowed her eyes, contemplating whether or not they were lying, but then noticed that Rin and his sister didn’t have any light source with them. They had been going through the tunnels without anything. 

She quickly extinguished her torch with her fingers and all eight of them were plunged into darkness.

Seconds later, a bluish hue surrounded them as stones on the ceiling began to glow. Mai stared up at them for a second before looking back at Rin and his sister. “Thanks,” she said curtly. “And try not to misplace your sister again.”

“Wait!” The girl exclaimed just as Mai and the guards were beginning to walk about.

“ _What?_ ” Mai asked, annoyed. How long had she been gone? She knew she had been gone longer than expected.

“Why did you help us last night and not rat us out?” She asked. Her fists had unclenched and she looked more innocent in this light.

Mai shrugged. “You would have gotten caught,” she said nonchalantly.

“Yeah, but _why do you care?_ ”

“I don’t,” Mai replied and turned to walk again.

Rin and the girl didn’t move as Mai began to follow the blue stones through the tunnel. The sun beat down on Mai’s hair as they exited and she quietly breathed in, relaxing her shoulders back.

They re-entered Omashu and Mai bought a quick bowl of noodles and crammed it into her mouth while still trying to keep clean and polite before climbing up the stairs to the Royal Palace.

Before Mai opened the door, she told her guards without turning to them, “we walked through the city and didn’t set foot outside the gates.”


	2. Omashu, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'd like to say that i've never read the comics so this story is just going to follow the canon of the show. when i get to the ba sing se chapter's, i have an idea of what i want to do but the comics don't really follow it (at least, from what i've seen from the atla wiki page)

Mai pushed open the intricate, red, doors and stepped inside, taking a steadying breath.

Mai’s mother instantly bustled in. “Where have you been, young lady? You completely missed lunch and I made sure the kitchens cooked your sea slugs just the way you liked!”

Hinata suddenly emerged through the front door, a bright smile on his face. “I’m sorry, Ms Tachibana,” he bowed. “But we were exploring the great city of Omashu and kind of lost track. I hope you don’t mind.”

Mai thought that Hinata had gone home with his parents last night after the banquet. Or at least early this morning to return to the Fire Nation. Obviously he hadn’t. Were both their parents trying to set them up?

Mai’s mother looked surprised but definitely not displeased. “I thought you were arriving for supper?” She frowned. “It was supposed to be a surprise for Mai.”

Hinata shrugged, good-naturedly. “The family I was staying with had an emergency and had to leave. I returned to Omashu and bumped into Mai and we decided to have some fun.”

“Oh, well. That’s great. Did you two get any lunch or will I get the staff to get something for you?” Mai’s mother asked.

Hinata nodded. “Yeah, we got some noodles at a vendor on the street.”

Mai wondered if Hinata had spied on her or was just an incredibly good guesser.

“They weren’t nearly as good as fire noodles but they really hit the spot,” he continued. “I hope that, in the next couple of weeks, we’ll get some good Fire Nation vendors down there.”

Mai’s mother smiled. “Yes, nothing beats an excellent bowl of fire noodles.” Suddenly, Tom-Tom’s cries started up and she glanced up to the ceiling. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. I think Tom-Tom is hungry for his lunch too.” She swept up her gowns and began making her way up to Tom-Tom’s nursery on the third floor.

Mai glanced over at Hinata who was admiring a portrait of a field of fire lilies that was above the little cabinet in the entryway. “What are you doing?” She asked him, gesturing to the guards that they were dismissed.

“I’m staying for two weeks. Our parents are setting us up.”

“No kidding.” There had been a time when her parents used to set her and Zuko up on playdates and talked in hushed whispers when they thought she was asleep about her being the next Fire Lord’s wife. But after Zuko was banished, it was well-established that that wouldn’t be happening any longer.

Hinata glanced over at Mai. “Did  _ you _ eat lunch? I actually did, not noodles though, but have you? I just didn’t want to sit and eat lunch with your family.” He stopped short and flushed a deep pink. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with eating with your parents. It’s just that I’d really rather not go through all the questions about what I’ve been up to and all of that.”

“I ate,” Mai nodded. “I thought you had stalked me because I had noodles.”

“It was the first thing that came to mind. I love noodles,” Hinata said. He glanced through the doorway closest to him. “Let’s sit down!” He turned his head to look at Mai. “Unless you don’t want to, of course.”

Mai contemplated this for a second, but eventually made her way into the living room. If he was here, she was expected to interact with him. She couldn’t take refuge in her room and refuse to speak to Hinata. She wondered what her mother would do if she did. She’d probably have a fit. “We’ll sit, I guess.”

Hinata took the couch and Mai sat herself down on a red sofa chair, putting her legs up over the armrest and leaning against the other.

“So what did you do today?” Hinata asked, “if you don’t mind me asking.”

“Nothing fun,” she sighed. Getting almost lost in a labyrinth with two Earth Kingdom kids and a baby was definitely not fun. Maybe stimulating and interesting, but definitely not fun. Fun was getting into a fight when you know you’d win.

“I watched these street performers today—they were  _ so _ good. They were acrobats and stuff and they were flinging each other into the air.” He pulled out a piece of paper. “They were advertising for this Fire Nation circus that’s coming to Omashu.”

Mai snapped her head around and held out her hand.  _ Fire Nation circus?  _ “Let me see.”

Hinata handed the flyer over and Mai inspected it. The circus was going to be in Omashu tomorrow for three days, two night shows and a matinee on the last day. And it was definitely Ty Lee’s circus.

“Do you want to go?” Hinata asked.

Mai had gone to Ty Lee’s first show when she first joined. Circus’ weren’t really her thing—they just seemed too over-the-top and flashy. She hadn’t seen Ty Lee since then but Mai guessed it would be nice to see her again. “Sure.”

“Oh, I think you’re going to really enjoy it. I remember going to a couple circuses when I was younger. I always liked the clowns and animals,” Hinata continued.

She was pretty sure Ty Lee’s circus had no clowns but, as far as Mai remembered, had a lion vulture and platypus bear.

“There was this one specific one I remember where a fortune teller was in a little tent. I went in and she told me that I’d live a happy life.”

Mai scowled but Hinata continued on. “And I know that’s super general but she also told me to watch my step the next day and I did but my dad sprained his ankle after he stepped on a rock and his ankle rolled.”

Mai made a doubtful scoff but otherwise kept her mouth shut. He could believe what he wanted—that didn’t mean she had to.

Supper rolled around and Mai was having trouble keeping sane. Hinata talked her ear off in the living room and she could smell supper as the evening drew nearer.

When the two of them were sitting in the fancy dining room, waiting for Mai’s parents to join them, she had a little break while Hinata kept Tom-Tom occupied.

“You’ve grown up so much!” Hinata cooed, Tom-Tom’s little fist wrapped around his pointer finger. “Last I saw you was when you were just born and your parents threw a little party for you.”

Little was an understatement. That party had been  _ massive _ . Half of the Fire Nation must have attended. She, Ty Lee, and Azula had snuck off halfway through because it had been too warm in the house and neither she nor Azula were having fun. Ty Lee, on the other hand, had been having a blast talking with anyone who neared her vicinity.

“You looked so handsome swaddled in your little red blanket,” Hinata continued. “You didn’t even cry when everyone was trying to touch you!”

There was no crying in public. That was a set in stone rule, put in place by Mai’s mother. Tom-Tom hadn’t even been one month old and he already knew to not tarnish their family’s image by bailing his eyes out in front of all the important nobility of the Fire Nation.

Mai’s mother walked into the dining room, frowning with the space between her eyebrows wrinkled. She must have just had an argument with Mai’s father. “I’m sorry, Hinata, but my husband seems to be too busy to join us for supper.” Her voice was honey-sweet but Mai could detect the bitterness behind it. “Apparently his work is more important than his family.” She paused, as if realizing she had said too much. “Anyway, shall we dig in?”

The meal started out okay. Mai’s mother peppered Hinata with questions, glancing over to Mai from time to time when she wanted her to contribute to the conversation in which Mai would just nod her head and say “cool” or “uh-huh”.

But then, when the dessert had just been placed in front of the three of them, Mai’s mother asked Hinata, “so, how does being in Omashu feel like? Do you feel closer to your roots? Have you thought about looking for your birth parents?”

Mai wanted to kick her mother’s legs under the table. Maybe  _ she  _ should learn some of the lessons she taught Mai about keeping her mouth shut.

A light blush covered Hinata’s cheeks and he awkwardly tapped the side of his glass. “Oh, uh, no. I was just a baby, younger than Tom-Tom, when I was adopted. I don’t remember anything about my birth city.” He very pointedly didn’t answer anything about his birth parents.

Mai’s mother pretended to be upset about asking him. “Oh, I’m sorry to have brought it up.”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Hinata shrugged. “But being here in Omashu really reminds me of this place I visited once with my parents a couple of years ago. It was another Earth Kingdom village—spanning two mountains too! It was incredible and the two mountains were joined together by this stone bridge made by earthbenders. It really reminded me of the three bridges that used to lead to Omashu…”

Hinata began to ramble about this town and Mai discreetly glanced at her mother who seemed to be waiting for a pause in Hinata’s story to bring the conversation back to his adoption.

But the pause never came and Mai realized that this was how Hinata coped with the prodding questions asked by people like her mother. He just  _ talked _ . He talked  _ so _ much that no one could even  _ try  _ to fit something into the conversation to ask him anything.

Mai bit into her hotcake, letting Hinata’s story go over her head and only barely processing it. She glanced over at Tom-Tom who was barely keeping it together—his head was lolled to one side just about asleep.

When Mai and her mother’s plate were more than finished, Hinata, on a ramble about when his family had almost been lost at sea, finally took a break from talking and took a long sip of water and a bite of his hotcake.

Mai’s mother instantly stood up, jostling the table just slightly. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but it looks like Tom-Tom should be put to bed.” She swept a drooling Tom-Tom up in her arms and began walking out the doorway. “You two can head to the living room, I’ll be down in a bit.”

When Mai could hear her footsteps climbing the stairs, Hinata tore into his pastry. When he finally swallowed, he grinned and looked over at Mai. “She’s not coming down again, isn’t she?”

Something close to a smile formed on Mai’s lips. “No. I think you scared her away.” Her face instantly went back to neutral as she took a sip of water. “She shouldn’t have asked you those questions.” It was as close to a sorry as Hinata was going to get. She shouldn’t even be apologizing for her own mother’s actions but she felt the need to just do this once.

“Eh, at this point I’m pretty used to it.” Hinata shrugged his shoulders and bent his head back to drink the last drop of his water. When he laid the glass back down he began fiddling with the red tablecloth. “Everyone seems to think it’s their business to know everything there is to know about my adoption and me. Imagine if the parents asking me these questions were that interested in their own kids’ lives.”

***

The next morning, Mai found her mother in Tom-Tom’s nursery, folding up a quilt. She leaned against the doorframe, running her tongue along her front teeth, thinking. Finally she said, “you shouldn’t have brought up Hinata’s adoption last night.”

Mai’s mother, who hadn’t seemed to realize Mai there in the first place, finished folding. “I’m just looking out for you. He technically doesn’t have noble bloodline.”

“Then why set me up with him?”

“Because he seems to be the only one you  _ like _ ,” Mai’s mother snapped back. She instantly softened. “What’s gotten into you? I’m trying to make sure you have a successful future.”

Mai pursed her lips. Her mother suddenly glared. “Try to stand up straight when you talk to someone.”

Mai breathed heavily out through her nose, straightened herself up and spun on her heel to walk away.

As far as Mai knew, Hinata was still asleep in one of the guest rooms. He’d be woken up by someone on staff in time to get ready for breakfast soon.

Mai made her way out into the small courtyard behind the building which was fenced off and out of view from public and prying eyes. It held some greenery and definitely wasn’t like the massive courtyard the Fire Lord had.

Mai glanced over at the little fountain in the middle of the courtyard and felt her cheeks heat up at the memory of the apple-fountain debacle with Zuko when she had been younger. That memory felt like forever ago and yesterday simultaneously.

She sat on a little bench in the back and tried to find something to throw her knives at. She settled on the single, puny, tree a fair ways distance away. The trunk could barely be called a trunk, it was more like a bigger-than-usual-stem.

Mai focused on the tree’s trunk and then let her five knives release from her hand in quick succession. She then raised a leg and let the stilettos loose. With satisfying swishes and thuds, all five knives and stilettos were lined up perfectly vertical up and down the trunk.

She walked over to the tree to retrieve them, sighing. She hoped something interesting happened at the circus tonight or she might just “accidentally” let loose a shuriken into the ring.

When all her weapons were placed back Mai sat back down on a different bench, this time near a statue of Fire Lord Ozai. She wanted to shatter it but this wasn’t a tapestry that could just be replaced. This was a literal gift from the Fire Lord himself after her father captured Omashu.

When Mai was standing, the statue only came up to her nose but, sitting down, he seemed to tower over her.

At breakfast, Mai’s father finally decided to show his face. He greeted Hinata as if he hadn’t been upstairs all day yesterday while Hinata had been in their house.

“So, what are you two planning to do today?” Mai’s mother asked them as she fed Tom-Tom little pieces of apples.

“We’re planning to go to the circus this evening,” Hinata explained. “As for the rest of the morning and afternoon, we’ll don’t really have a plan. We’ll just go where the wind takes us.”

Mai kept silent and just ate. By the end of these two weeks, there would be nothing else left to do in Omashu. They would have experienced all that there was to experience.

After that, Mai’s father dominated the conversation by complaining about how much work was soon going to come in due to two things: the whispers about the Avatar being sighted around Kyoshi Island and a new criminal beginning to show its face around the world who had been dubbed “The Blue Spirit”.

He didn’t even explain  _ how _ he’d get more work. As far as Mai knew, her father was only in charge of Omashu’s problems and business, he didn’t have to deal with Avatar-problems or world-wide criminals unless they so happened to walk through the gates of Omashu which was highly improbable.

When Mai and Hinata finally managed to get away and were walking down the streets of Omashu with a couple of guards shadowing them, Hinata was smiling. “It was nice to eat for a change.”

Mai rolled her eyes. “I heard you last night sneaking off into the kitchens.” A group of children gawked at her and Hinata as they passed and she shifted her eyes to the front.

Hinata grinned wider. “It was nice to eat,  _ during meals _ , for a change,” he corrected. “And I thought I was being sneaky…” he trailed off and didn’t start speaking again, throwing them into an abnormal silence.

They were close to the edge of Omashu when something clamped onto her right leg. Mai jerked her head down and grimaced. “Spirits above,” she growled at little toddler Noki hugging her leg like she would a tree. “Not you again.” The child was inches away from setting off the arrows around her ankle.

Hinata glanced down and carefully picked her up. “You know her?” His eyebrows furrowed before bouncing Noki in his arms like her mother did with Tom-Tom. “What are you doing out here?”

Rin, his sister, and two others who Mai assumed were their parents, ran around the corner, frantic looks in all their eyes. Rin’s sister was the first to notice Noki in Hinata’s arms. “There she is,” she said rudely, glaring at Mai. “Noki seems to have a fondness for ashmakers.”

Rin jabbed his sister’s side firmly with his elbow.

“You seem to have a fondness for losing your baby sister,” Mai retorted.

“She’s very cute,” Hinata said quickly, glancing between Mai and the girl, as he passed back Noki to her mother. “She definitely got her lovely brown eyes from you!”

Mai rolled her eyes once more while the mother blushed and brushed off the compliment. “Thank you for finding our little Noki. She often crawls away—she’s much faster than what you’d expect!” She laughed awkwardly, seeming to now just notice the guards eyeing her family suspiciously.

Rin’s sister looked close to throwing a punch towards Mai (not that Mai would have minded; in fact she would’ve loved to get in a fight right about now) so Rin hastily stepped forward and extended a hand to Hinata. “I’m Rin, and that’s my sister Mimi. Thanks for finding our baby sister.” He gestured to Mimi for her to do the same.

Mimi’s eyes didn’t move from Mai. “Yeah, thanks,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Good to meet you,” Hinata said, seeming to notice the tension but not bringing attention to it. He shook Rin’s hand. “This is my friend Mai!”

Mimi opened her mouth but Mai spoke first. “I think they already know that.” Mimi’s lips snapped shut and now just seemed  _ absolutely furious _ .

The father nodded. “Oh yes, she’s the governor’s daughter.” He paused and then introduced himself. “I’m Heng, and this is my wife, Gen. I appreciate that you found our daughter.”

Gen cuddled Noki closer to her chest. Before Mimi could throttle her, Mai nodded curtly to the family. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but we have to leave now.”

“Good,” Mimi muttered in a low voice so her parents couldn’t hear. Rin elbowed her again. “Quit it, would ya?” She snapped.

Both Gen and Heng bowed their heads and thanked Hinata once again before continuing on their way, Rin and Mimi a couple steps behind.

“They seemed nice!” Hinata said once they were out of earshot. The two of them began walking again. He glanced over at Mai curiously but didn’t say anything.

Mai pursed her lips and kept her mouth shut. But, eventually, she caved once Hinata didn’t start speaking again. She had grown accustomed to him filling the silence which, she could see now, was a bad habit.

“I met them yesterday. I found this labyrinth outside the city and they lost the child  _ again _ and I found her and…” Mai shrugged, trailing off.

“Mimi doesn’t seem to like you.”

Mai only shrugged again. That was another understatement.

They found themselves on a plot of land where the circus was setting up. The place was bustling with people setting up the massive tent.

Mai didn’t even hear her until she shouted. “Mai!” Ty Lee exclaimed, back flipping over to Mai. “What are you doing in Omashu?”

“My father’s the governor,” Mai said simply.

“Hi Hinata!” Ty Lee greeted, grinning up at him. She turned back to Mai. “You should’ve told me you were living here now!”

“You didn’t respond to my last letter,” Mai pointed out. She hated to admit that seeing Ty Lee was nice.

Ty Lee frowned. “I sent my letter weeks ago. I thought  _ you  _ didn’t respond to  _ me _ .”

Mai rolled her eyes. “Nevermind. It doesn’t matter. The next time you get a chance, send one to me here in Omashu.”

“Have you gotten a letter from Azula?”

Mai raised an incredulous eyebrow.

Ty Lee shrugged. “Just checking. I worry for her, you know. I’ve sent so many letters and she hasn’t responded at all.”

“That’s Azula for you. Don’t worry, we’ll see her whenever she needs us.” The statement was harsh, but it was the truth.

Ty Lee winced. “I mean, I just wish she’d send something. Like a weekly letter or something.  _ Monthly _ , even,” she confided with a sigh. She paused before eagerly saying, “so are you going to come tonight?”

“Of course.”

“I’m super excited,” Hinata said. “I saw some acrobats yesterday afternoon promoting your circus and I can’t wait to be blown away!”

And then Ty Lee and Hinata were babbling on and on about the circus and their childhood and what their favourite act was and, honestly, Mai had a hard time keeping up with the two of them.

When the two of them were on the topic of clowns, Mai just completely spaced out, gazing at a sand-coloured pebble until it doubled up and she was too lazy to sharpen her view back.

At this point in Mai’s friendship with Azula, she didn’t really care for Azula anymore. Like romantic relationships, friendships couldn’t be one-sided. And they both were growing apart. She still perhaps cared for Azula a little bit but that was probably because of their long-time friendship, not because of Azula’s dazzling personality that slowly grew more crazy as time went on.

Ty Lee liked to chalk up Azula not replying to her letters to being busier now that Zuko was banished. Mai knew that Ty Lee was making excuses for her but didn’t bring it up. Azula could take thirty minutes or less out of her busy schedule to write two measly letters to her best friends.

When she had been younger and the drifting was just beginning, Mai had done a fantastic job of not letting it bother her even though it did. Very much. As time wore on, though, not caring became easier and easier until she sometimes completely forgot about just how close the three of them had been.

Mai blinked rapidly, tuning back into the conversation which had not changed from the topic of clowns.

“I like the really happy, foolish ones,” Ty Lee was explaining. “With their horns and juggling. We only have one clown here at this circus, but I hope Shuzumu eventually gets some more.”

Ty Lee turned to Mai. “Do you have a favourite act, Mai?”

“No,” Mai said.

“How about you Hinata?” Ty Lee tried again.

“Clowns and the animal acts,” Hinata replied. “I once went to a circus when I was younger that had a couple of puma goats that did this cool dancing act.”

And then they were on the topic of animal acts and how, while they were fun to watch, some animals were ultimately abused during the circus. Ty Lee assured him that no animal abuse went on in her circus.

Mai didn’t say anything but definitely could argue Ty Lee’s point. She had a very specific memory of a fire whip and a platypus bear when she had glanced into one of the large tents.

“Ty Lee!” Shuzumu yelled, coming out of a nearby tent. “You were supposed to be at practice five minutes ago!”

Ty Lee’s back straightened and she grinned apologetically. “Sorry guys. I guess I’ll see you tonight?” She didn’t wait for a response before performing multiple back walkovers over to Shuzumu.

Hinata was absolutely beaming. “When I was younger, I used to dream about running away and joining the circus. Looks pretty nice, if you ask me.”

Mai shrugged.

“I mean,” Hinata continued, “I can’t juggle or anything. I’ve got no special talents like your knife throwing, so I don’t think any circus would actually take me.”


	3. Omashu, Part 3

The night was cool when Mai, Hinata, and the four guards tasked to watch over them stepped out of the Royal Palace to go to the circus.

It seemed like everyone in Omashu was going. Curfew had even been shifted to accommodate the circus. For the next two days curfew was at midnight, thirty minutes after the main circus event which gave citizens plenty of time to be back in their homes beforehand.

Hinata was going on about all of his old childhood pets. “My parents owned a deer dog long before I came along. His name was Tomomi and I remember playing outside with him and trying to outrun him. Then, when I was about seven we got a goat dog named Yumi and she and Tomomi really bonded until Tomomi died when I was twelve. Then, I got to pick out my own pet and I chose a cat owl and I named her Chika after my grandma. Yumi’s still alive, she’s old though and she isn’t one for much playing. As for Chika, she’s still home too. I thought I probably shouldn’t bring any pets here in case any of you were allergic.”

“There was this one time…” Hinata began again and Mai was relieved to finally make it to the circus which was buzzing with families and children with sugar cookies and fruit tarts in their grubby little hands.

It seemed like the citizens were having fun for a change, Mai could feel it try to worm its way into her as well but she adamantly refused. Hinata, on the other hand, bought a strawberry tart as soon as his eyes fell upon a vendor and was grinning from ear to ear. He turned to Mai and offered to buy her one too.

Mai just shook her head.

“You’re loss,” Hinata said with a shrug and took a huge bite out of his tart. “Mmmm.  _ Delicious _ .” He chewed and swallowed. “You know, my grandma and I used to pick ash bananas when they ripened and made bread with them. I used to love doing that with her,” he sighed. “She gave all the loaves we made to her friends and saved me a little one for myself since my parents hate ash bananas with a passion.”

Mai watched a child shove a full cookie into his mouth idly before turning her gaze back to Hinata who was finishing off his tart. She felt like she was trapped in a glass box, watching everyone in high spirits laughing and joking. It felt like she was invisible. “Let’s go in the tent.”

“Okay, just let me buy another tart or two,” Hinata said and Mai rolled her eyes but didn’t dispute.

Since she was the governor’s daughter and Hinata was her guest, they were given the box seats above the rest of the audience. It was the same place her and Azula had sat to watch Ty Lee’s first performance.

“Wow,” Hinata marveled. “This has the  _ best _ view.” He bit into his third tart—he had eaten his second on their way to the tent. “And this is the best tart I’ve ever eaten.” He sunk down in his seat in bliss.

As time went on, more Omashu citizens made their way into the tent, filling up the stands until Mai could hardly hear herself think.

“I think we should come tomorrow night too,” Hinata said as he pulled out his fourth, and last, tart. “Should I eat you now or wait ‘till later?” He wondered aloud.

Mai shrugged her shoulders.

“We could explore more of the little tents outside of the big top. I overheard a kid say that there’s a fortune teller!”

Mai scoffed at the thought of a fortune teller and shrugged her shoulder once again. “Sure.” At least going to the circus was something other than lounging around at home babysitting Tom-Tom.

Hinata clapped his hands together with glee just as the lights dimmed and a spotlight shone over the ringmaster, Shuzumu.

Soon, the performance was beginning and Mai found herself finding it all a little...lackluster. All the acrobatic acts had nets beneath them and no one was even in a little bit of danger except for the poor woman called up by the knife thrower who seemed to almost behead her.

The first time had been less bland. Perhaps because it had been just that. The first time experiencing this circus. She hadn’t known what to expect. But in the time that had passed between her first showing and now, nothing had changed other than the new clown. The ventriloquist still did the exact same bits he had done before and even some parts of Shuzumu’s wry commentary felt familiar.

But the audience down below was astonished by the magic and awed by the animals and acrobats. They ate up every bit of fake magic and added flourishes that the circus had to offer. It was kind of pathetic.

Ty Lee’s act was the very last one. It was getting late and Mai felt ready to either collapse into bed and not wake up until noon or get into a fight with the circus trainer just because she could.

Ty Lee was already on one end of the tightrope when the spotlight found her. She had on a yellow headpiece that made her head look like the sun and her dress’ skirt was a bright orange.

Hinata, who had been quietly making comments to Mai throughout the show, said “there she is!” and sat up a little straighter.

Ty Lee’s performance was completely different from what Mai remembered. It was full of split jumps, back walkovers, front walkovers, hand walking, and other moves that Mai didn’t know the names to. She was pretty sure it was the same music but her act was completely different and oftentimes Mai met Ty Lee’s happy gaze and couldn’t help but thinking she  _ did _ look happier here.

At the end of the night, Ty Lee found Hinata and Mai by the tart vendor. Hinata was in a deep conversation with the man behind the counter, trying to charm him into letting him in on his secret tart recipe.

Ty Lee flounced up to Mai and hugged her tightly. “What did you think of the show? Wasn’t it great?”

“You’re act was the only one that didn’t make me want to fall asleep,” Mai said.

“Thanks! What did you think of the knife thrower? Wasn’t he cool? I can introduce you if you want, his name’s Min-Jun. I think he and you would get along swimmingly,” Ty Lee said excitedly, jumping up and down.

Mai shrugged even though she thought Min-Jun was nothing but a novice. Maybe even one of those secret earthbenders whose knives were stone and who influenced them to land where they wanted.

Hinata seemed to give up on the vendor and turned to Ty Lee. “Great job! Me and Mai are planning to come back for tomorrow’s show too!” In a quieter voice he said, “maybe I’ll finally get the strawberry tart recipe.”

They both laughed and then they were on the topic of strawberries and their favourite fruits. Ty Lee’s was cherries while Hinata said that his was moon peaches.

Mai watched as the families began heading home, all in high-spirits from their night at the circus. Mai spotted three out of four of the guards nearby and knew the fourth was behind her.

Ty Lee suddenly straightened up and gestured wildly to someone nearby. “Min-Jun! Come over here and meet my friend, Mai! Another knife thrower!”

Mai wanted to face palm. The  _ one _ time she decided to be relatively nice…

The guy looked to be in his early twenties and just _ reeked  _ of self-importance and cockiness. “Mai?” He repeated dubiously, glancing down at Hinata.

Ty Lee giggled like he just told the funniest joke. “That’s Hinata.” She pointed to Mai with a smile. “ _ That’s _ Mai.”

Mai judged him curiously. He didn’t look like he descended from the Earth Kingdom so perhaps he  _ was _ a genuine knife thrower. A  _ poor _ knife thrower, but a knife thrower nonetheless.

“ _ She’s _ the skilled knife thrower you told me about?” Min-Jun furrowed his eyebrows and seemed to be judging her as much as she was judging him.

Mai wasn’t sure if his head was too far up his ass to think anyone could be better than him or just plain sexist. There was always the possibility of being both.

“Oh yeah,” Ty Lee said, nodding. “She’s super good. I’ll bet she’s even better than you!”

“Oh really?” Min-Jun said, arching an eyebrow. He flicked his eyes over to meet Mai’s. “Well, what do you say, darling? Care for a friendly competition?”

“No, not really,” Mai said boredly, keeping her gaze steady.

Min-Jun opened his mouth to say something, probably trying to goad her into the competition.

But Mai spoke before he had the chance. “I don’t waste my knife skills in competitions trying to figure out who’s better when I already know the answer.”

Min-Jun’s face went deep red and he pulled out one of his knives threateningly. It didn’t look very aerodynamic, more for show than anything. “Why you little mink snake! I bet I could pierce your heart before you even blinked!”

“Whoah there,” Hinata said, trying to keep the tone light. “There will be no heart piercing here.”

“Yeah!” Ty Lee piped in. “She’s the governor’s daughter. I don’t think her dad would be very pleased if you killed her.”

“Ah, another noble. No wonder,” Min-Jun scowled. “They always think they’re so much better than everyone else.”

“I’m sure she doesn’t—“ Hinata started but Mai interrupted him.

“I  _ am  _ better than you at knife throwing,” Mai said coolly. Ty Lee bit her bottom lip, nervously looking between her and Min-Jun. “And I’m leaving.” She jerked her head to Hinata so he would follow.

They both turned around to leave.

“You’re just like every other girl,” Min-Jun tried again, snarling. “All bark and no bite. You think you know everything and think you’re so smart but you’re just a whiny, little,  _ bitch _ .”

Mai blinked slowly but didn’t change pace. Underneath her sleeves, she rubbed her fingers against her knives soothingly.

Hinata spun on his heel and reared his fist back. “ _ What did you—? _ ”

Without turning her head, Mai grabbed Hinata’s collar and pulled him back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ty Lee.”

Mai dragged Hinata down the dark alleyway, hearing her guards’ footsteps following close behind them.

“How could you let him say that about you?!” Hinata raged, finally managing to compose himself. “All those awful words and you didn’t do anything! And I  _ know  _ you could’ve taken him.”

Mai rolled her eyes and finally let go of Hinata’s collar. “I’ve been called worse.”

“And you didn’t want to  _ murder  _ him? Even just a little bit?” He asked, incredulously.

Mai’s mouth quirked up just a bit. “I didn’t think you would ever condone murder.”

Hinata crossed his arms and angrily kept on walking. “Sometimes it calls for it,” he said curtly, still fuming.

A single laugh escaped Mai’s lips and her eyes widened in surprise at the unusual sound she had just made.

Hinata snapped his neck around, flabbergasted. “ _ Did you just laugh? _ ”

Mai hit him across the head. “I think you’re hearing things.”

“I think you just laughed,” Hinata quipped, a smile forming on his lips. “Is that what makes you laugh? The topic of murdering people?”

Mai rolled her eyes and they were thrown into silence.

Hinata was the first one to speak. “I still don’t understand though. Why didn’t you do anything? It’s like you didn’t even react!”

Mai took her time replying, choosing her words carefully. “People will always hate you. What’s the point of fighting them all? Growing up in the upper class, you get your fair share of bullies who want some kind of affirmation that they’re better than you.” She paused, glancing up at the moon. “And when you beat them at their own game, they try again and again and won’t give up.”

“And if you lose?” Hinata asked.

“Then they rub it in your face and boast about it.”

They were close to the Royal Palace now, so massive against the little green-roofed houses. “But also, I was taught to keep my head down and not make trouble,” Mai finished, a couple feet away from the front doors.

“I think it would’ve been pretty cool of you to beat that guy in a knife throwing competition,” Hinata finally said. Then, joking, “I think that was the most I’ve ever heard you talk.”

“Shut up,” Mai said and hit him over the head again.

***

The next morning, Ty Lee found Mai sitting in the courtyard. “I’m sorry for Min-Jun last night.”

Mai shifted over on the bench to make room.

“He’s not usually so... _ bad _ . He’s actually quite funny when you get to know him,” Ty Lee added, sitting down next to her and then changed the subject. “So what’s up with you and Hinata?”

Mai sighed. “My parents are not-so-subtly trying to set us up.”

“What about Zuko?”

“What about him?”

“Well, don’t you still like him?” Ty Lee asked. “Ya know, he’s your childhood crush and all. Last I checked, you still liked him.”

Mai didn’t like talking about her love life. She didn’t like talking about  _ anything _ , but that was beside the point.

“You know, Hinata never seemed to me like the type to date and stuff,” Ty Lee said. “Of course,” she chuckled, “I haven’t seen him in awhile. Things can change so quickly.”

“So what about your love life?” Mai asked, changing the subject, spinning one of her knives around in her left hand idly.

“Oh, nothing new. I don’t think dating someone while performing in a travelling circus is such a good idea. Long distance just never works. And there’s no one really my age performing in the circus so,” Ty Lee shrugged.

“Long distance hasn’t stopped you before,” Mai said.

Ty Lee laughed. “You’re right.” Her laughter died out and then the only sound Mai could hear was the racoon-crows cawing on the nearby roofs.

Mai put her knife back and sighed again. “It feels weird seeing you here without Azula too,” she said honestly.

“You’re right. I’m so used to seeing her and you and then me together that it kinda feels unnatural to just talk with you.”

Mai glanced over at Ty Lee. “It’s a nice change though.” She paused. “Do you want to stay for breakfast or do you have to go back to the circus?”

Unfortunately, Ty Lee couldn’t stay as she said that Shuzumu would have her head if she didn't show up for practice. She definitely gravitated towards devious people, whether she meant to or not. 

After breakfast, when Mai walked past her father’s study, she could hear him muttering about The Blue Spirit again.

“Mai?” Her mother poked her head out of Tom-Tom’s nursery. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”

When Mai walked inside, her mother was rocking in the rocking chair with Tom-Tom on her lap. She smiled up at Mai and gestured for her to sit down on the small bed pushed into the corner. Mai sat.

“So what do you think of Hinata? How was your date last night?” Mai’s mother asked kindly.

“He’s okay.” To be honest, Mai had never really considered last night a date. It didn’t feel like one, not that Mai had gone on enough dates to know the difference.

“And? The date?”

Mai resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “It was fine. We’re going again tonight.”

“Well, alright.” Mai’s mother said, pursing her lips. And then, when Mai got up and was halfway across the room, she sighed. “I wish you’d talk to me more and open up a little.”

_ I wonder whose fault that is _ , she thought scornfully as she made her way back to her own room and onto her balcony. She leaned against the railing and idly watched as a man organized his cart of cabbages down below on the street.

The rest of the day elapsed at a snail sloth’s pace. Mai hated it but Hinata seemed right at home—keeping Tom-Tom occupied when her mother was busy. She was sure her mother would have prefered to have Hinata as the oldest child instead of her. But, then again, if Hinata had been raised in this household, Hinata would be a completely different person.

By the time the evening came around, Mai was itching to do something. She wasn’t sure she would be able to just sit around in a tent watching the exact same show as the night before just to see Ty Lee again.

“I was thinking,” Hinata said quietly, a grin playing on his lips. “What if, just to change things up, we sat in the bleachers instead of up in the box seats?”

Mai shrugged. “Sure.” She didn’t think the guards would be too happy, but they would deal with it.

The first chance Hinata got, he swapped their tickets with another couple and bought five strawberry tarts.

Mai finally caved and bought one for herself.

“So? What do you think?” Hinata asked excitedly, finishing off his first one as they wandered around the smaller tents, vendors, and carnival-esque type games that surrounded the big top.

“It’s alright,” Mai shrugged after swallowing.

Hinata grinned wider. “I’ll take that as a great sign,” he said and bit into his second. “Oh look! It’s the fortune teller!” He exclaimed, pointing at a light red and gold tent which had a sign that read: ‘ _ Get your fortune told for just 3 silver pieces! _ ’

“That’s pretty cheap,” Hinata said. “Let’s do it!”

Mai shook her head forcefully. “You can do it yourself, I’ll wait out here.”

Hinata shrugged his shoulders. “Okay, whatever you say, but I think it could be some fun!” He shoved his hand in one of his pockets and pulled out three silver pieces before heading inside the tent.

Mai finished off her tart while she waited and, around five minutes later, Hinata came out of the tent. He was smiling, which didn’t mean anything since he  _ always _ smiled. “How was it?” She asked, beginning to walk again.

“It was fun.” He glanced over at her. “I think you should do it. Not because it was accurate, or anything, but because it was funny. As soon as I walked in, the woman said I looked like my mother who she used to go to school with. She said she couldn’t remember her name and expected  _ me  _ to supply it. So I, obviously not knowing my biological mom’s name, said my mom’s name is Jia. Because it _ is _ . Later on, she said she could see her in the glass ball and said that I had her green eyes,” Hinata laughed good-naturedly. “I should’ve told her that my mom actually has golden eyes, but I didn’t want to embarrass the poor lady.”

Mai didn’t understand why she would want to pay money to go see a fake seer but didn’t say anything.

Hinata rubbed his chin. “She also told me that I’d be happy when I grew older but that’s a pretty general statement to make, don’t you think?”

Before they found their seats in the tent, Hinata bought a couple more tarts (still determined to charm the recipe out of the man) and, at this point, Mai didn’t know what number he was on.

The bleachers were filled to the brim and Mai wished she was still in the box seats as it felt too crowded. The people around her were talking too loud; it almost sounded like they were yelling. The little kid sitting behind her was munching on popcorn so brutally that she was sure that if she turned around, he would have nubs for teeth. When someone sitting shifted and the wooden bleachers creaked and scraped against each other, her bones seemed to mimic the scrape and body seemed to want to fall in upon itself.

Mai didn’t know what was happening. All she knew was that it was too much and she needed to leave. Her head was pounding and her thoughts were becoming incoherent. When she stood up, she did so too quickly and she became lightheaded.

Hinata glanced up at her worriedly, looking so much at ease that Mai wished she could vanish into thin air and be able to hear her thoughts again. “Are you okay?” He asked her, about to stand up as well.

Mai pushed him back down. “I’m fine. I just need some air. I’ll be back before the show starts.” And she fled to the next exit into the cool, night, air.

Outside was almost empty, mostly everyone was inside the tent waiting for the show to begin. The vendors were no longer behind their stalls and some of the people who had been inside mini tents like the fortune-teller were roaming about.

Mai breathed in deeply and leaned against a stone partition, shutting her eyes for just a moment. She wasn’t sure she could go back in. At least not before the show started. If she did, she was sure she’d end up pulling out all her hair.

Her heart rate steadied and she could feel her headache beginning to fade. She pulled out one of her knives and polished it with her sleeve.

“Miss your upper class seats, Mai?”

Mai turned casually to stare into the amber eyes of Min-Jun. She rolled her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be in the tent, preparing for the show?”

Min-Jun grinned wickedly. “There’s nothing to prepare  _ for _ . I’m all set and ready to go. Just me, my knives, and my talent.”

“What could go wrong?” Mai said, deadpan, rolling her eyes again. She began to put her knife back up her sleeve but then thought better of it.

“You know, I was thinking about you last night.”

“Me too—I was thinking about murdering you in cold blood.”

Min-Jun’s left eye twitched in annoyance. “You know what? When Ty Lee was talking to me this afternoon, I was planning on giving you a second chance and being civil. But now I’m not so sure I’m going to do that.”

Mai glared at him and began to walk away and back to the circus tent. The show would probably be starting soon and she felt much better. Not that Min-Jun was helping.

“Yeah, go back to your boyfriend. I’m sure pretty-boy will want to punch me again like last night. But that guy looks like a  _ turtle duck _ could beat him in a fight…he’s not even really  _ Fire Nation _ —”

Mai hurled three knives right at Min-Jun. The first two landed perfectly above his shoulders, just grazing his neck, while the third was planted firmly in between his legs. If it had landed a couple centimeters above, there would have been blood.

Min-Jun yelped and then bit his bottom lip. Seconds later, his face changed and his eyes narrowed. His hands clenched into fists.

Mai raised her right leg and five stilettos shot out and pierced Min-Jun’s clothing to the stone partition, pinning him up like a painting. She looked up at him coolly. “He’s got more fire in him than you.”

Min-Jun’s mouth was agape and he seemed momentarily stupefied. “Whoah! That was awesome! You think you could show me how you did that?”

Mai scowled and began pulling out the stilettos and knives to, unfortunately, let Min-Jun free. “No.” She pulled the last one out. “Now get out of my sight.”

Min-Jun skittered away, leaving Mai alone once again. She put her knives and stilettos back into their holsters and was about to head back into the circus tent when the strawberry tart kiosk caught her eye.

Less than two minutes later, Mai re-entered the tent and sat back down next to Hinata. “Where were you? I was just about to go looking for you!”

Before Mai had a chance to reply the lights dimmed and the show began.


	4. Omashu, Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now that school has begun and stuff, i won't be posting regularly anymore due to the amount of schoolwork that's being thrown at me. however, i have chapter 5 already written so that will be posted next friday. i won't be updating this story until maybe around christmas but i honestly have no clue.
> 
> anyway, enjoy the chapter!

The next morning was cloudy and Mai’s father pronounced that there was going to be a rainstorm. A strong one too, from the North. Apparently a harbour town had been hit quite badly and a couple of people had almost died at sea.

Mai couldn’t get Iroh’s voice out of her head saying “we feel at peace during storms because it is  _ balanced _ . The thunder and lightning in the air provokes something ferocious within us and the rain calms us back down once again.” He was always full of foolish sayings. 

She and Zuko would often imitate him and create their own crazy proverbs. By the end, they'd both end up on the floor giggling with laughter.

Hinata and her weren’t planning on going to the matinee (there were only a certain amount of times she could watch something over again) and, unless Hinata had a strawberry tart craving, she wouldn’t be bumping into Min-Jun again.

Ty Lee had said last night she’d drop off the first letter this afternoon, before they’d leave and go to Gaoling.

She was out in the courtyard that morning, looking at the perfectly blue skies when she heard a familiar voice coming from outside the walls. “Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not.”

Mai shot up from the bench where she was sitting and climbed the stone walls to peek over them, narrowing her eyes at Iroh who was talking to the cabbage man. Iroh exchanged a couple of silver pieces for a cabbage and turned around.

Mai ducked out of sight. What was Iroh doing here? Did that mean Zuko was too? Her heart rate sped up and she scowled. She waited a minute before chancing it and peeking up over the wall again.

“Good morning, Mai,” Iroh said with a genuine smile, looking up at her. “It’s nice to see you!”

Mai gripped the stone wall for dear life but didn’t say anything.

Iroh didn’t seem perturbed by Mai’s lack of words and, instead, said, “would you and your family mind if I came around the front uninvited?”

“Do whatever you want,” Mai said flatly with a shrug

Iroh just chuckled, as if she had just said the most hilarious joke on the planet. “I’ll be around in just a second.”

Mai slipped down the wall again, her face screwed up in annoyance. But she couldn’t help the little flame of anticipation within her that was wondering if Zuko would be there too. He wasn’t with Iroh just then but, then again, Zuko could have just been on another street, buying more things that they’d need on their hunt for the Avatar.

She found her parents in her father’s study. “General Iroh’s coming to visit,” she said. It wasn’t often that she took pleasure in things but she found great joy in seeing the crazed looks in her parents’ faces as they realized the famed “Dragon of the West” would be visiting this very house.

“What? When?” Mai’s mother asked, her eyebrows above her head.

“He’s coming right now—” Mai said, blinking slowly. She was cut off by a polite knocking on the front door. “There he is now.”

“Mai, you should have told us!” Mai’s father berated, standing up and slamming his hands down on his desk. He went to leave his study.

“I only just found out now,” Mai said with a roll of her eyes as she followed her parents down to the entrance.

Hinata met them on the second floor. “Who is it?” He whispered.

Mai kept her head straightforward. “It’s your lucky day,” was all she said.

Mai’s father opened the doors and there stood Iroh. Zuko and Azula’s uncle. The general who managed to break through Ba Sing Se’s outer wall. The man who had killed the last of the dragons. Mai could hardly believe this old man had accomplished so much.

Hinata’s jaw dropped so quickly Mai was sure he would displace it. “Holy Shu!” He muttered under his breath as everyone bowed to Iroh.

“General Iroh, I had no idea you’d be visiting Omashu!” Mai’s father exclaimed. “I am honoured that you’re here but you could have sent a messenger hawk and we could have prepared a—”

Iroh held up a hand and shook his head lightly. “Oh, there is no need, Ukano. Or should I address you as Governor Ukano now?” He chuckled lightheartedly. “I was just stopping by for some supplies and decided to visit. I hope you don’t mind.”

Mai relaxed her shoulders just slightly. She wasn’t sure how her parents would have reacted if they knew she had climbed the wall and spied on Iroh in the first place.

Mai’s mother glanced around, trying to be nonchalant but failing miserably. “Aren’t you supposed to be travelling with Prince Zuko…?”

Iroh smiled serenely but shook his head. “He’s not here with me at the moment.”

Mai swore he was looking right at her as he said it.

“Unfortunately, my nephew caught a little bug while travelling. I left him on the ship with the crew while I came here to collect some ingredients for a healing tea,” Iroh explained.

“That’s unfortunate,” Mai’s mother said although it didn’t sound like she pitied the banished prince at all.

Mai recalled a memory from one summer years ago when a stomach bug was going around Capital City. Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee had gotten it but Zuko seemed completely immune to it. Later, when they all recovered from it, Ty Lee had asked him how, and Zuko had responded, “I never get sick. The only time I’m ever sick is when I fake it.”

“Would you care to stay for lunch?” Mai’s father asked. “I’m sure our chefs could whip up something fantastic.”

“I’m afraid not,” Iroh said with a shake of his head. “I just wanted to drop by. I still have a couple of things to buy here.” He smiled a bit. “But it wouldn’t hurt if I had someone to help me navigate these streets.” He turned to Mai. “I could use your help, if you don’t mind.”

Mai wanted to say that he should take Hinata instead. He obviously wanted to speak with him and would actually speak. Mai could, actually, see them getting along quite well. But, one look from her parents’ eager faces and furious nodding made her forget about speaking out. “Of course.”

“Excellent!” Iroh exclaimed, clapping his hands together. He nodded in Hinata’s direction. “It’s wonderful to see how you’ve grown, Hinata. I haven’t seen you since you were just a child.”

Hinata seemed ready to faint. “I-I...it’s nice to meet you too, General Iroh.” He bowed as his cheeks blushed ruby red.

Mai descended down the steps slowly, eyeing Iroh carefully. Was there a reason he chose her instead of Hinata or was she just the first teenager he laid eyes on while asking?

“I’ll have some guards come with you,” Mai’s father said.

Iroh waved his hand away. “Oh, there is no need. We are both perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. Am I right, Mai?” Iroh winked as though he were sharing an inside joke with her. 

Mai just blinked back at him dully.

“No, I insist,” Mai’s father tried again. “There are all kinds of dangers in Fire Nation colonies—”

Iroh waved him off again. “We’ll be fine, we won’t be long.” Mai followed him out the front door and watched as Iroh closed the door in her father’s face.

Iroh grinned as he made his way down the steps. “Your father is a very kind man but I don’t think we need anybody following us around while doing a bit of grocery shopping, eh?”

Mai didn’t respond and followed Iroh down the steps. He didn’t look any different than the last time she had seen him, which was a couple weeks before Zuko and King Ozai’s Agni Kai.

Iroh glanced back at her. “So…Hinata.” He paused. “You know, I always thought he had good Pai Sho fingers. Nimble and quick. He looked quite the young man back there, hardly the boy I met when he was younger.”

They got to the bottom of the steps and Mai said, “he’s learning to play the tsungi horn and told me he wanted to hear you play some day.” She didn’t quite know why she said this. Maybe it was because if Hinata were in her place he would be talking about his tsungi horn too.

“Really?” Iroh said as he went to a fruit kiosk and began pulling out some apples and ash bananas. “Pao Sho fingers and tsungi horn fingers!” He exclaimed. “I wish I could stay to hear him.”

“There’s nothing stopping you.”

Iroh chuckled. “You know my nephew well enough that when he has his mind set on something, he will stop at nothing until he sees it through.”

Mai thought back to supper with her father and about the Avatar sighting on Kyoshi Island. She wondered fleetingly what the Avatar looked like. He would be over 100 years old by now.

Iroh glanced over at Mai as he paid for his fruits. “Have you seen or wrote to him since?”

“No.” She didn’t take it personally. Zuko wasn’t a letting-sending kind of person. Besides, who would he send letters  _ to? _ Ty Lee probably sent hundreds of letters to him which most likely went unanswered and Azula and Zuko definitely weren’t exchanging letters.

“I should get him to send you a letter,” Iroh continued, paying for his goods.

Mai knew not to get her hopes up but, still, a little part of her thought about what it would be like to exchange letters back and forth with Zuko.

Iroh continued on through the street, glancing around his surroundings. “I wish they’d kept Omashu as it used to look like.” As if to drive his point home, he let out a hacking cough. “Omashu used to be so beautiful but now it just looks like Fire Nation.” Iroh sighed and continued on to the next kiosk which had baskets upon baskets of shaped rocks.

Mai glanced down at them, thinking they were probably bent to be different shapes. Iroh picked up one with the Fire Nation insignia on it and inspected it.

Mai glanced over at the couple behind the counter and they immediately looked away, terrified.

When she glanced back at Iroh, he was holding up a 3D heart shaped rock. He shifted it from hand to hand, feeling it’s heaviness. Was this necessary and on the old man’s shopping list?

Before Mai could complain any longer, Iroh glanced at the couple who were pretending to be busy. “What is inside the heart?”

The woman responded, shakily looking Iroh in the eye. “Flower seeds, sir. If the talisman breaks you can plant the seed outside and get a random type of flower.”

“Fascinating!” Iroh exclaimed, picking out a dragon shaped rock and a tsungi horn one and put it in his other hand with the heart. “I’ll take these two, please.”

Mai followed Iroh after he paid. He put the dragon and tsungi horn rocks in his sleeve while keeping the heart one out. “Did you know there are different types of love?”

As far as Mai knew, there was only one type of love. The love between two people who spent their entire life together.

“There is the love you feel towards your family members, your sisters, brothers, grandparents, and relatives. There is self-love, the love that you feel for yourself—possibly the most important kind of love. There is the love for your partner, the one most people think of when thinking of love.” Iroh paused and put the heart stone in Mai’s hand. “However, there is also the love that one feels towards their friends. Friendship is such an important type of love.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Mai asked, feeling the smooth coldness of the rock. Was this about Zuko? Was Iroh trying to tell her Zuko only thought of her as a friend? Or was he just spouting old man nonsense?

Iroh smiled serenely. “You care too much about the why and searching for a deeper meaning. Sometimes, things are more surface level than they seem.”

What was that supposed to mean? Mai felt a headache coming on and she gritted her teeth behind her lips. She couldn’t imagine travelling with Iroh like Zuko was, he’d make her commit murder the first night out.

By the time all the shopping was done, Mai and Iroh’s hands were full of just  _ stuff _ . Random  _ stuff _ . Teapots, different types of tea leaves, special rock Pai Sho pieces, a dream catcher with hanging beads, and enough food to feed the entire Fire Nation army.

Iroh walked her to the palace’s doorstep. “Thank you Mai,” he bowed, “it is always fun to have a friend to shop with. Shopping alone can be oh so boring. I wish I could stay for lunch but I need to tend to Zuko.” He pulled out the tsungi horn rock and handed it to Mai. “Give this one to Hinata for me.”

When Mai held out the heart rock to Iroh, warm from her hand, he just shook his head. “That one is for you.”

“What about Zuko?” She had assumed the heart rock would be for him.

“For my nephew?” Iroh guffawed. “Oh, you are too funny. Zuko is not one for souvenirs.”

Mai hadn’t been trying to be funny. She eyed the four heavy bags between them. “Are you sure you don’t want help bringing your stuff back to your ship?”

Iroh laughed again and took the two bags with ease. “That is very kind of you, Mai, but I’m perfectly capable of carrying these bags to the ship. My arms haven’t failed me yet. But thank you again.”

Mai watched for a moment as Iroh made his way slowly down the stairs before turning around and walking through the front entrance. She hit into Hinata, ear pressed up against the door. He immediately went red as Mai glanced over at him.

“I-um, sorry,” Hinata said sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

Mai threw the tsungi horn rock at him. Hinata barely managed to catch it. “Iroh wanted me to give it to you. If it breaks, there’s a seed inside for you to plant.”

Hinata brought it up so close to his eyes Mai was sure he would be seeing double. “Oooo, I hope it’s a fire lily!” He looked up at her, green eyes twinkling with excitement. “Did he say anything else about me.”

Mai rolled her eyes. “That you have Pai Sho and tsungi fingers.”

“He said that?” Hinata exclaimed. “I haven’t played Pai Sho in years! My grandma taught me and I haven’t played since she died.” He pocketed his rock.

Mai narrowed her eyes at him. “How good are you?”

“What?” Hinata cocked his head to the side.

“Pai Sho. How good are you?”

“Well, I haven’t played in a bit. But I could beat my grandma which was an achievement in itself,” Hinata said, puffing out his chest.

Mai smirked and gestured for Hinata to follow her.

On the second floor was an extra room, with a Pai Sho table and red cushions to sit on. She hadn’t played Pai Sho in awhile. She usually played with her mother but ever since Tom-Tom was born, there never seemed to be time.

She had been quite good herself. Her and her mother were an even match. The only person to ever win 100% of the matches against her was Iroh.

“You play Pai Sho?” Hinata asked incredulously.

“My mother taught me,” Mai explained, taking a seat at one end of the circular table. She swiped her sleeve across her side of the table to collect all of her pieces. Hinata did the same. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

***

Later that evening, an hour before curfew, Mai stood out on her balcony, rubbing the heart rock beneath her robes. She liked the smoothness of it. It calmed her like running her fingers against her knives did.

Hinata had beaten her in Pai Sho, mainly using the white lotus tile. He played a lot like Iroh, actually. She supposed that was what happened when you learned from an elder or were an elder yourself.

She looked out upon Omashu’s walls, still and silent, listening to the distant thunder clouds. The storm was close and Mai could feel the electricity in the air.

The mail chutes were silent too, all of the earthbenders gone home before the Fire Nation soldiers would begin their rounds after curfew.

Suddenly, Mai caught movement to the right. Making their way down the wall was a figure dressed in black. They had some kind of weapon on their back and were using a rope to descend quickly.

Mai narrowed her eyes and watched curiously as the figure nimbly landed on a roof, pulling the rope down with him. They ran across the rooftops quickly and then suddenly jumped off so Mai could no longer see them.

Mai barely thought. She ran back into her room, grabbed a black cloak, and used the pillar to get to ground level.

She was glad she hadn’t changed and taken off her holsters yet.

Mai ran through the streets and down the stairs, making her way through the city, distinctly remembering where the figure jumped off.

She glanced right and left, looking through the alleyways between buildings to see if she could spot the figure. Who were they? They obviously weren’t from Omashu since they used a rope to sneak in.

That was when she saw two  _ other  _ figures through the buildings and she cut through the narrow alleyway and raised her two arms straight in front of her.

Her knives pinned the two other figures, wearing green cloaks, to the stone wall in front of them.

“Oof,” a guy muttered as he made contact, chest first, into the wall.

“Let. Me. Go,” the girl growled and Mai’s eyes widened. She  _ recognized _ that voice.

She pulled the three knives off of Rin first. “Hey! It’s Mai!” He exclaimed.

She pulled the knives off Mimi next. “What was that for?” She asked angrily, extending a leg out to kick Mai.

Rin held her back.

“What are you doing?” Mimi asked again, struggling to break free from Rin’s hold on her.

Mai narrowed her eyes. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Rin opened his mouth to speak but Mimi stopped on his foot. He swallowed his pain and spoke anyway. “We saw a figure in a blue dragon mask looking through our window. Mimi and I went after them.”

Mai straightened her spine.  _ The Blue Spirit _ . “I saw them go down the wall using a rope.”  _ What could the Blue Spirit possibly be doing in Omashu? _

“Why are you chasing them?” Mimi snapped.

“It’s something to do in this boring town,” Mai retorted.

Mimi was about to spit something else out but the sound of running footsteps on stone shut her up.

The three of them went silent, perking up and turning their ears to the sound.

“He’s over on Dìqiú Street,” Mimi exclaimed and took off down the cobblestone street.

Mai and Rin followed closely behind. Soon, they could see the Blue Spirit up ahead, almost a little dot in the distance.

Of course, that was when the sky opened up and the fat droplets of rain began to fall. Purple lightning shot through the sky and, seconds later, the earth shaking thunder reverberated in Mai’s ears.

She pulled up her hood and kept on running.

“Cut through here,” Rin said and turned a sharp left into an alleyway.

Soon, Mai could see the Blue Spirit closer up ahead. The figure glanced back and Mai could clearly see the blue dragon mask that was often used in the play, Love Amongst the Dragons.

The Blue Spirit suddenly took a flying leap even Ty Lee would have trouble with and landed gracefully on the green tiled roof above.

Mai wasn’t Ty Lee but she launched herself upwards like a cat, not changing pace, and left Rin behind.

She was too far away to accurately shoot something at the Blue Spirit. If she missed, that was one knife or arrow gone until she found it after the storm. She couldn’t risk losing any of her weapons.

Mai sped up and now she recognized the swords on the back of the Blue Spirit’s back. Dual broadswords. The Blue Spirit glanced back again and jumped back down onto the street.

Mai followed close behind, her left foot mildly slipping on the water that was now coming down in sheets.

There was another crack of lightning and rumble of thunder and Mai saw Mimi coming up through an alleyway on her right and Rin on her left.

“Watch this, ashmaker,” Mimi grinned and nodded to Rin who clenched his hand into a fist and bended a stone from the street off the ground and chucked it at the Blue Spirit.

It hit the Blue Spirit squarely in the back of the head. The figure stopped and slowly turned around, pulling out his swords.

“Great, you made them angry, dumbass,” Mimi said.

“You’re the one who told me to do it!” Rin exclaimed, panic taking over his features.

“Since when do you listen to me?”

Mai hit both of them over the head. “Stop fighting. Stand on guard, can’t you see the Blue Spirit’s gone?”

Mimi and Rin’s heads snapped up and they now noticed that the Blue Spirit was no longer in front of them.

“ _ Ugh-humph _ ,” Mimi grimaced as the Blue Spirit dropped down from the roof above, gagged her, and tied her hands behind her back.

Mai threw a knife straight at the Blue Spirit but they used one of their swords to block it and it ricocheted off of it and pinned one of Rin’s sleeves to the wall behind him.

Mai glanced over at Rin but that was when the Blue Spirit decided to go on the offence and slashed both of their swords down.

Mai ducked out of the way. Three rocks hit The Blue Spirit’s back consecutively.

Rin had used his free hand to pull her knife out and was in a fighting stance, concentrating with all of his might to earthbend.

The next rock came and, this time, the Blue Spirit was ready. The rock hit against the swords and gained speed as it smacked Rin right in the left eye.

Mai heard Mimi’s muffled screaming as she tried to form words but couldn’t.

Rin took a couple speeds back but didn’t say anything as he kept on flinging rocks at the Blue Spirit.

Mai picked up the knife off the ground and flung it at the Blue Spirit again, this time slashing through the side of their right leg. Blood immediately started pooling and the Blue Spirit’s head snapped up.

They rushed at Rin, who probably couldn’t see well due to the rain and now his left eye being swollen shut and brought him down.

Mai threw another knife and hated how it didn’t get the Blue Spirit’s head. She blamed this damned rain.

If it were a clear night, she wouldn’t be missing as much.

The Blue Spirit quickly tied Rin up and then faced Mai with that creepy, smiley, dragon mask.

Mai narrowed her eyes, getting into a fighting stance. The Blue Spirit seemed to be on the offence more so she waited patiently, waiting for the usual tells of criminals and fighters.

The Blue Spirit breathed through their nose sharply.  _ There it is _ . They ran at her at full speed and Mai lept up and landed on the roof. Her right leg wobbled but, other than that, she stayed steady.

Mai didn’t wait for the Blue Spirit to follow her, she just ran.

Maybe the Blue Spirit would slip and break their neck. Unlikely and less fun, but would help out.

Mai kept on running, jumping to the next roof and the next and almost fell head first as the roof ended. She found herself looking out onto the street that ran up and down the middle of Omashu where the kiosks were usually set up.

Mai jumped off and the Blue Spirit was right on her heels.

There was no use of running any further. It was time to fight. She just wanted to get away from Rin and Mimi in case a stray knife caught them by accident.

Mai and the Blue Spirit circled each other. Her hood was still up and she could feel sweat bead down the back of her neck.

This time, she wasn’t as patient. She launched herself at the Blue Spirit, the rest of her knives in hand.

The Blue Spirit shot his two swords foreword and Mai just managed to duck. One of the swords nicked her arm and Mai managed to scrape up the mask a bit.

Then, suddenly, Mai was plunged into a familiar pattern. Right foot. Left foot. Duck. Spin. Jab. The Blue Spirit was doing the opposite: left foot. Right foot. Jab. Spin. Duck. 

Repeat.

Mai froze, panting, and the Blue Spirit sheathed his swords. She pulled down her hood in shock. “Zuko?”

Zuko’s blue dragon mask stared unblinkingly at her. “Mai?”

She put her weapons away and took a hesitant step forward. “What are you doing here?”

“What are you doing in Omashu?” Zuko asked.

His voice had grown deeper and raspier and Mai willed herself to stay put. She crossed her arms. “The Fire Nation took over Omashu, my father’s the governor.”

“Oh. Uh. Congratulations.”

“Zuko, what are you doing here?” She asked again. Mai wanted him to take off the mask. Just what kind of damage did his father do? Mai had only seen Zuko a couple days before the Agni Kai and not after.

“I’m looking for the Avatar,” Zuko said. “I overheard my uncle saying that an old friend of his lives here—over 100 years old. I thought that maybe the Avatar would come here for a visit.”

“I’m sure I would know if the Avatar came to visit,” Mai said. “There aren’t many 100 year old people around.” Her father had a file on everybody in Omashu. The oldest they had was 82.

“The Avatar isn’t 112 years old like all of us thought,” Zuko said and crossed his arms. “He’s a 12 year old airbender.”

Mai’s spine straightened. “A kid airbender? How is that even possible?”

“I don’t know.”

“And what was your plan through all of this? Fake sick, sneak out at night, and then go through the hundreds of houses in search of a 100 year old person?”

“Yes—"

“Two other kids caught you staring in their window, Zuko. Let me help you. My father has files on everybody here in Omashu,” Mai said.

Zuko didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then, “I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t?” Mai said, her voice rising.

“I mean, I have to do this alone. To restore my honour.”

“Your uncle is helping you, Zuko! You have a ship and a crew helping you! Let  _ me  _ help you, just this once.”

Zuko shook his head sadly and lept onto another roof. “I need to do this alone.”

Mai jumped up too. “Why are you so stubborn? I’m coming along with you.”

“No. You can’t.”

“I’m coming with you. I know this city better than you,” Mai said stubbornly.

Zuko turned around. His mask was off, revealing the burn scar on the right side of his face. “I’m sorry,” he said, then pushed her off the roof.

Mai’s vision went dark.


	5. Omashu, Part 5

“Shut up, you’ll wake her,” a voice snapped.

“You’re the one who’s being a loud mouth,” another said.

Mai peeled open her eyes, the bright lights momentarily blinding her. “I can hear you,” she said hoarsely.

Rin and Mimi, on a couch across from her, stopped their bickering and looked over at her.

“Mom, dad, she’s up!” Mini shouted.

Mai winced.

Rin shoved his elbow in Mimi’s side. His left eye was black and blue. “Shhh.” He glanced over at Mai. “You alright? After Mimi and I got out of our bounds, we found you unconscious on the street. We brought you to our house. Are you okay?”

Her parents would be furious when they found out she wasn’t home but, right now, she didn’t care.

Gen and Heng bustled in. “Oh, honey, how do you feel?” Gen asked, cocking her head to the side.

Heng kneeled down in front of Mai and felt her forehead with a warm hand. “Do you want something to drink?”

Mai nodded.

“Mimi told us what happened,” Gen continued as she walked away to get some water. “That was very noble of you to help our children out after that Blue Spirit was chasing after them.”

Mai gave a side eye over at Mimi who was glaring at her profusely.

Heng helped Mai sit up on the sofa and passed her the water his wife gave to him. “Here, drink up. You’re lucky you didn’t break a bone. You’ll have a couple bruises along your left side but you are completely fine.”

“What happened?” Rin asked. “How did you become unconscious? Did the Blue Spirit do something to you?”

“No,” Mai said after she drained the cup. She frowned. “He pushed me off the roof.” Zuko’s scar on the side of his face crisply came to mind and she laid back down on the sofa.

“He?” Mimi repeated. “You saw the Blue Spirit’s face?”

“No, I didn’t. It was just a slip up,” Mai said, maybe a little too coldly.

Mimi eyed her suspiciously but, miraculously, kept her mouth shut.

“Are you feeling any better?” Heng asked.

“How long have I been out?”

“It’s just before breakfast,” Rin replied.

Mai sat up quickly, Heng catching her as she collapsed back onto the sofa. “Slowly, now.”

“I have to get back home.” Mai sat up slower this time. She swung her legs down. “Thank you for helping me, but I have to go.” She bowed.

“But we’ve got a place for you for breakfast,” Gen said.

Mai shook her head. She had to get back home. If her parents or any of the maids checked in on her this morning, she was as good as dead. There was a slim chance no one was there and she could sneak back in before anyone knew she was gone. “I have to go. Thank you again.”

Rin stood up and grabbed her black cloak and all her weapons. “Uh, sorry. We had to take off your holsters so dad could check for broken bones and cuts.”

Mai nodded and silently took her stuff, slipping on her familiar holsters filled with arrows and knives and shurikens.

Mimi stood up too. “Here, I found this nearby. I think it’s yours.” She unfurled her palm which had the stone heart.

Mai snatched it up. “Thank you for your hospitality,” she said to all of them. She hated thanking them so much. “Goodbye.”

She walked quickly to the door and stepped out onto the streets of Omashu, shutting the door behind her.

The citizens were setting up their kiosks and Mai pulled on her black cloak which was still slightly damp. She pulled up her hood and rushed up the steps to the Royal Palace.

She thought of Zuko again and wondered if he had found the Avatar's friend. She was sure there was no one that old in Omashu. Zuko and Iroh were probably long gone by now, anyway.

Mai shimmied up the pillar up to her balcony. She landed quietly on the wood and then stopped in her tracks.

Hinata and her mother with Tom-Tom in her arms were sitting on her bed.

‘ _ I’m sorry’ _ , Hinata mouthed from behind.

“Mai Tachibana. Where have you been? We’ve all been worried sick about you.”

Mai silently slipped off her cloak as her mother continued.

“Hinata notified me last night  _ hours  _ after curfew that you were gone. We checked the entire house and couldn’t find you  _ anywhere _ .”

There was no use in lying outright. “I saw the Blue Spirit last night and I went after him. They knocked me unconscious and I woke up just now. I’m sorry,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Young lady, you should not have gone after a criminal on your own. You should have notified the soldiers and guards. Or your father,” Mai’s mother continued.

“What was the Blue Spirit doing  _ here? _ ” Hinata gaped.

“I don’t know. It’s not like they  _ told  _ me their plan.”

“Mai!” Her mother exclaimed. “You do not speak like that to our guests.”

Mai rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“You are grounded and not allowed to leave the house,” Mai’s mother stated, standing up. “Hand over all of your weapons.”

Mai pursed her lips and began taking off her holsters around her wrists. What was she supposed to do now? Sit around and babysit Tom-Tom all day?

“Ms. Tachibana,” Hinata pleaded, “don’t take her weapons away. What happens if the Blue Spirit returns? She’ll need to defend herself.”

Mai’s mother stopped and glanced over at Hinata. She slowly moved her gaze back to her daughter. “Fine. But you’re still grounded.”

Mai let her arms drop to her sides as she watched her mother exit her room.

“I’m sorry, Mai,” Hinata said. “I wanted to talk to you last night and you said before that you never go to bed right away so I knocked and when you didn’t answer after five minutes I glanced in and you were gone. I decided to give you three hours to come back because I didn’t want to get you in trouble. But after the three hours were up I was worried you were actually in trouble and I told your mom.”

Mai retightened her holsters. She didn’t look at him as she said, “it’s fine. But you’re helping me babysit Tom-Tom and helping me sneak out.”

***

Mai was with Hinata and Tom-Tom in the Pai Sho room, trying to play a game but Tom-Tom would constantly move pieces or pop them in his mouth.

Mai was close to winning when Tom-Tom completely crawled onto the board and swept all the circular pieces off onto the floor.

“Tom-Tom,” Mai groaned as she lifted him off the board and back onto the floor. Her mother was speaking with her father and they had been in there for way too long. To be honest, Mai wished they got a divorce. It was clear they both fell out of love with each other.

“At least he keeps it interesting,” Hinata quipped, always the optimist. He began picking up the circular pieces off the floor. He stopped suddenly and sniffed the air, his stomach beginning to grumble. “Do you smell that? It smells like the chef’s are beginning to cook lunch.”

Mai sniffed too and winced. “Smoked sea slug…” she made a face.

Hinata chuckled, bending down to get the Pai Sho pieces under the table. “What do you have against smoked sea slug? That stuff’s delicious!”

Mai was about to reply when a voice came from behind her. “Then why don’t we leave and get some street-food?”

When Mai spun around, Rin and Mimi were on the balcony. She narrowed her eyes at them. “What are you doing here?”

“We wanted to see if you were okay,” Rin said then shoved his elbow into Mimi’s side. “Right Mimi?”

Mimi, whose arms were crossed let out a barely audible “yeah”.

“How did you get past the guards?” Hinata asked, walking past the two siblings to the balcony and looking down. His face scrunched up. “Oh. The guard’s asleep.”

Mai rolled her eyes. “I can’t leave. I’m grounded because I wasn’t in bed last night.” Usually, the prospect of leaving with Rin and Mimi was enough incentive not to go. However, the stomach-turning smell of smoked sea slug made her want to flee.

“When has that stopped you?” Hinata asked, a smile spreading across his face. “Besides, lunch doesn’t start for another two hours, your mother has been in your father’s office forever and I doubt either of them will come out anytime soon.”

Mai cocked her head to the side. “I think my bad behaviour has rubbed off a little too much on you.”

“So?” Hinata grinned. “Are we leaving to get some delicious fire noodles or stay and eat smoked sea slug?”

Outside, on the stone ground of Omashu, the air was still heavy from the storm the night before. The ground was slick with water as well. Stone was not the best material to soak up water.

Hinata was glancing around and looked as though it was his first day in Omashu. His head was swiveling every which way, looking like a complete tourist. “Hey, Mimi,” he began, turning around to get the attention of the other girl. “Am I remembering correctly that you used to have a king or some kind of royalty here in Omashu?”

“We did. Before  _ someone’s _ dad attacked us.”

Mai rolled her eyes.

“His name’s Bumi,” Rin explained.

“What happened to him? Is he in prison? Or is he… _ you know _ …” Hinata trailed off worriedly.

“They took him. That’s all we know,” Mimi said bitterly. “I don’t believe Uncle Yung when he says that Bumi just  _ surrendered _ . Bumi’s the most powerful earthbender in the world—he could have taken those fire nation brutes.”

Mai stopped in her tracks and turned slowly around. Her eyes were narrowed. “Your Uncle is _ Yung? _ ”

Hinata’s eyes widened, the name dawning on him. “ _ Isn’t that the resistance leader? _ ”

Mai had just assumed they weren’t part of the resistance. _ Spirits of the Island _ , they were  _ inside _ her house. Her fingers reacher for her knives inside her sleeves. Was that little stunt just to get intel on what their house looked like? She shouldn’t have assumed they were stupid teenagers.

Rin put his hands up quickly, seeming to sense the change. “I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not what it looks like. Before you say anything, let me say that Uncle Yung refuses to left us join the resistance—”

Mimi elbowed him sharply in the ribcage.

“—I mean, not that we’ve asked to join—”

Mimi face palmed. “—Forget everything he just said, we are not a part of the resistance. We were inside your house because we wanted to gather information for our Uncle to prove ourselves but he has made it  _ very _ clear that we aren’t allowed to participate. We’ve given up.”

“Prove it,” Mai challenged, standing very still next to Hinata.

Mimi and Rin glanced at each other. Something seemed to pass between them and they both nodded.

Mimi spun to Mai, back ramrod straight, staring intently at Mai. “Fine. Follow us.” She leaned in close to her brother. “You think you can handle the extra weight?”

“I’ll certainly try. It’s going to be hard to get us up there in the daylight, though.”

Mimi and Rin lead them to one of the unused mail chutes. There was no one around, just empty containers made out of earth. Rin earthbended one of the containers onto the chute and gestured to it. “Hop on.”

“Where are we going?” Hinata asked. No one answered. Nevertheless, he stepped inside.

Mai was a bit more hesitant. She had an idea about what would happen when she stepped inside. A container made of earth…and Rin was an earthbender…

She bit the inside of her lip and stepped inside. Mimi hopped inside next and then Rin. “Hold on tight, we don’t want you falling out.” Rin said, and then pushed his arms around like he was swimming.

The container they were in jolted upwards and then they were smoothly making their way up to where Mai could see was the top of Omashu. It was a bit on the slower side but, to be honest, Mai didn’t expect to be flying up a mail chute with four people crouched in a mail container.

“Scared?” Mimi asked in Mai’s ear.

Mai didn’t respond. She wasn’t scared. Although, nothing could compare to the ricketiness and joltiness of this.

“I can’t tell if you’re scared or if you’ve just decided to not speak,” Mimi said, letting out a huffy breath.

“She’s always like that,” Hinata said, grinning, peering out over the edge of the mail container. “You get used to it.”

“Rin doesn’t talk that much but at least  _ he  _ has emotion so I can at least kind of read him,” Mimi responded.

“He’s also your brother who you’ve lived with your entire life,” Rin pointed out, sweat beading down his face in an effort to get them to the top of Omashu.

Seven minutes later, they made it to the landing just as a pair of guards turned the corner. Mai stepped out and watched as Rin used his earthbending to lift the container on the top of another pile of containers nearby.

“C’mon, and stay quiet. We’ve only done this at night so it’s harder to tell where the guards are,” Mimi hissed, taking the same corner that the guards had just taken.

“Can’t earthbenders feel vibrations in the ground?” Hinata asked quietly.

“Sometimes. I’m not the best earthbender out there,” Rin said, going red in the face. “I’ve had so many teachers including my Uncle Yung but I just can’t seem to grasp the movements of it.”

“I think you did a great job getting us here,” Hinata complimented. “Earthbending looks pretty tough. I haven’t seen much of it but from what I  _ have  _ seen…wow. I think the last time I saw earthbending in action was—”

“—Do you ever shut up?” Mimi snapped.

“No, not really,” Hinata said but didn’t say anything more, although he was still smiling.

They stopped at the beginning of tall scaffolding.

“Are we climbing this thing?” Hinata asked, craning his neck all the way back. “That could take  _ ages _ .”

“Good thing we aren’t,” Mimi said and went under the first layer of scaffolding. She led the three of them to the center where there was a platform attached to a pulley system which looked to go all the way up.

When they got off the platform, there was a big metal thing hanging from a crane. It seemed to spin around on its own accord. “Is it lunchtime already? The sun isn’t high enough yet.” An old man’s face greeted them.

The man looked old. He could have been over 100 years old. Mai locked eyes with the man, only just processing Mimi introduce them to the former king of Omashu, Bumi. All she could think of was Zuko the night before, claiming to be trying to find someone who could have been friends with the Avatar. Was this the man? It was certainly possible. And it made sense that her father had no files on him; he was a dethroned king.

Mai brought her attention back to the present just as Bumi managed to bow his head just a little in his full-body cage. Mai felt as though she should bow back but refrained from doing so. This had to be the man Zuko was after.

“I never thought I would be introduced to the daughter of the new King,” Bumi said, raising his eyebrows. “Do you want me to call you princess?”

Mai blanched at the title. She was grateful Azula wasn’t with her. “My father is not the new king. He’s the governor. Therefore, I am not a princess,” she stated coldly.

The ex-king seemed to shrug. “Same difference.”

_ It is not _ , Mai thought, pursing her lips but deciding not to engage.

“It’s so good to meet you, sir. I’ve heard so many great things about you, sir!” Hinata exclaimed. “I can’t believe I’m in the presence of royalty.”

“Well, I’m not royalty anymore. Hence the confinement I’m in,” Bumi said wryly, letting out a loud cackle. “What brings you four to my humble abode?” He glanced over at Rin and Mimi who were standing to the side. “Are they looking for advice too?”

Mai stared blankly ahead while Hinata asked, “you give advice?”

“Of course. You looking for some good advice?”

Mai couldn’t believe her eyes. While she had heard the name King Bumi in passing, no one really mentioned how old he was. And, when her father became governor, she was told the king was imprisoned but never where.

“Yeah, kinda. General Iroh visited yesterday and I was hoping to ask him for some advice but he didn’t stay for long,” Hinata explained, sounding a bit dejected.

“General Iroh’s advice is rather exceptional and makes mine look lackluster. But, no one can beat him, am I right?” Bumi let out even more cackles and Mai wondered if the guards could hear him.

“You know General Iroh?” Hinata asked, eyes widening.

“Don’t you know? All old people know each other. So, what is it that’s troubling you, my boy?” Bumi glanced up at the other three and pointed his head away. “Why don’t you give us some privacy for a few minutes?”

Mai, Rin, and Mimi, found a little spot away from Bumi and Hinata, giving the two of them plenty of distance so they couldn’t overhear.

“Is this good enough proof that we aren’t working with the resistance? If we were, we would have told our uncle about King Bumi and they would have gotten him out,” Mimi said. “But we aren’t and we didn’t.”

“I believe you,” Mai said simply, craning her neck around the corner, seeing if any guards were on the way at the sound of Bumi’s loud laughs.

“Don’t worry about your friends. Bumi laughs regularly when he’s alone that the guards just assume it’s a false alarm,” Mimi explained, leaning on one foot and crossing her arms.

“They aren’t my friends,” Mai said through gritted teeth. She decided to not mention that she knew all of the guards’ names here in Omashu and their backgrounds by heart, almost as well as the Fire Nation nobility.

“You’re Fire Nation, they’re Fire Nation. Therefore you are friends. Or at least accomplices.”

“You’re Earth Kingdom, the freedom fighters are Earth Kingdom. Therefore you are friends. Or at least accomplices,” Mai replied coolly. She had heard so many stories about those so-called freedom fighters who constantly messed with Fire Nation soldiers and hurt innocent people. At least the soldiers fought  _ other _ soldiers, not just innocent passersby.”

Mimi looked affronted. “Don’t you dare associate me with those criminals,” she spat.

Mai blinked at her, waiting.

Mimi recoiled, making a face. “Oh,” she said, realization hitting her. “That’s what I just did to you.”

“I guess the freedom fighters are making a name for themselves,” Rin said, nonchalantly. “I think I went to school with one of them before they moved away.”

“Really, who?” Mimi asked.

“I don’t remember his name but he didn’t speak much. The teachers used to get pretty annoyed by him because he wouldn’t answer their questions,” Rin shrugged.

“Who are we talking about?” Hinata asked, popping his head around the corner.

“How was Bumi’s advice?” Rin said.

“I think he was pretty good; gave me really solid advice.”

***

A couple days later, Mai fed Tom-Tom his usual breakfast alone at the table. She also lounged around and stuck knives in more portraits of Fire Lord Ozai. It felt weird to be this bored and the room to be this silent. Usually Hinata filled the silence and cured her boredom with his endless talking and ideas. But she was too proud to find him. So what if Hinata wanted a day to himself? Wasn’t that what she wanted when Hinata first arrived?

Her pride kept her from seeing Hinata all morning. It was only when her mother asked to call Hinata down for lunch did Mai finally search around the palace. She knocked on his door but she got no answer. She checked the courtyard and the Pai Sho room. All empty.

Mai eventually found Hinata in an empty guest room, on the balcony and leaning against the railing. He had the stone tsungi horn in his hand and was rubbing it like she did her knives.

“Lunchtime,” Mai said, standing in the balcony’s doorway.

Hinata jumped up. “Oh, Mai! I didn’t see you there.” His eyebrows drew down in confusion. “It’s lunchtime already?”

Mai hesitantly walked forward until she was next to Hinata. “Have you been out here all morning?” She asked. She paused and physically scrunched her face up as she asked, “are you feeling sick?” She hated the words that came out of her mouth as soon as she said them.

Hinata had his eyes trained on the horizon but glanced over at her when she said that. “No. Just feeling pensive.”

“It’s lunchtime,” Mai repeated.

“Not hungry.”

Mai wanted to physically set herself on fire. Who was the nearest firebender around? She gritted her teeth. “Did you have breakfast?”

“Not hungry.”

Hinata hadn’t had anything to eat all day? He used to sneak down to the kitchens at night. Mai had to mentally shake herself. She wasn’t his  _ mother _ . Why was she saying all this stuff? “Well, I’m going down for lunch. If you’re hungry, you’re free to come down whenever you please.”

Lunch was quiet. Mai hadn’t realized how accustomed she was to Hinata always talking. When had that happened? Her mother was bustling around Tom-Tom, getting him to eat his lunch.  _ She  _ probably didn’t feel the deafening silence. But Mai did.

After lunch, Mai tried to fix the silence by taking a walk in the courtyard, listening to other people’s conversations on the other side of the wall. When that proved to be fruitless, she stood outside the kitchens for over an hour, listening to the conversations and bangs of pots and pans in there. But everything still felt too quiet, like there was a blanket over everybody, muffling the noise.

She had been an only child for most of her life with parents usually too busy to occupy her. She had  _ mastered _ the art of filling silence without actually talking. Then why was it so hard to do now?

It was nearing four o’clock when Mai finally broke. There was obviously something wrong with Hinata and she was going to fix it, even if it was the last thing she did.

Mai couldn’t believe herself as she trudged up to her room and grabbed the piece of paper in her drawer, hidden between the pages of a book she hadn’t read.  _ What had happened to her? _

__ The kitchen on the second floor was mostly for show, but all the things she needed were in the cupboards and drawers. She’d just ask the nearest firebender for help when she needed everything to be baked.

She took a deep breath before reading the first step on the list.  _ How hard could baking be? _ She had seen plenty of other people do it before.

A couple minutes later, when she was searching for a pan on a high shelf, all the other metal pots and pans rained down on her, just barely missing her head. Mai froze, glancing at the doorway, hoping no one was near or heard her. This was already embarrassing enough, Mai didn’t need her mother to waltz in and see her completely covered in white flour.

Unfortunately, the person to walk was even worse than her mother. It was Hinata. He looked at her oddly, taking in the scene before him. “What are you  _ doing? _ Are you okay?”

_ I could ask you the same question _ , Mai thought to herself but, instead, picked up the large pan she had been looking for. “Nothing.”

“What’s that?” Hinata asked curiously, walking into the kitchen and glancing at the piece of paper she had left on the counter.

“ _ Don’t look at that _ ,” Mai snapped, reaching out to grab the piece of paper away from Hinata. “You can’t look at that.”

But Hinata had already read a little of the paper. His eyes were wide with surprise as he looked over at Mai. “Is this the strawberry tart recipe? From the circus?”

Mai snatched the paper away, annoyed. “It was  _ supposed _ to be a surprise. You looked  _ sad _ so I thought I’d do something to cheer you up.” The words came out haltingly.

Hinata smiled a little and walked over to the pile of pots and pans, beginning to put them back on their high shelf. “That’s really nice of you, Mai. But I’m not sad. Just…in a thinking mood.” There was a pause before his smile widened a little. “How did you even get the recipe? I tried forever.”

Mai turned away, reading the next line of the recipe. “I have my ways.”

Hinata walked over so he was facing her. He raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t threaten him did you?”

Mai frowned and didn’t say anything.

Hinata looked at her for a long second. Finally, he said, “well, can I help?”

“Sure.” Inside, she was slightly grateful. Maybe the element of surprise was gone out of her idea but it was better than burnt strawberry tarts. She had never cooked anything before on her own. She pulled out the paper and put it back on the counter.

An hour and a half later, they were sitting silently in the Pao Sho room, the balcony doors open so they could watch the sunset better. The pan of strawberry tarts sat between them even though Hinata was the only one eating them.

Throughout the baking process, Hinata had still been more quiet than usual. The prospect of strawberry tarts had seemed to cheer him up.

Now, Hinata was downing the strawberry tarts as if they were small fire gummies.

Mai stared mutely ahead, letting her eyes be burned by the bright orange sunset. She  _ hated  _ the colour orange. Why couldn’t red or purple sunsets be more common?

Hinata finished his last tart and laid down on the floor, hand behind his head. Mai thought he had fallen asleep but he soon began speaking in a low voice. “Today’s my adoption day.”

Mai nodded to show that she was listening, glancing down at him before returning her attention back to the sunset.

“And I’m grateful for being adopted—wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a part of me and it’s shaped who I am today. But sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I wasn’t. If I grew up in the Earth Kingdom and went about day to day life however the people there live. Would I have been sent off to the war? Could I have  _ died _ on the battlefield? Everything I have now—my parents, my friends, everything about my life that I love—would be completely different.” Hinata sat up and looked over at Mai. “We would be enemies. You would throw one of your knives at me.” He said this so simply and he didn’t seem all that fazed by it.

Mai wanted to point out that Rin and Mimi were Earth Nation and she hadn’t stabbed  _ them _ . Yet. But she kept her mouth shut. Not because that was how she was raised, but because she shouldn’t.

“The only reason why I would be here if I weren’t adopted would be as a prisoner.” Hinata moved his gaze to the sunset as well. “But that’s not the only reason why I’m not talking a mile a minute. I was going to tell you last night but then you weren’t in your room and I chickened out afterwards.

“But when King Bumi offered to give me advice, I asked him about my dilemma and he was pretty good at giving advice. Probably not as good as General Iroh, but still.”

This time, Mai turned to face Hinata. The house was dead silent and smelled strongly of strawberry.

Hinata took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “We’re friends, right? At least, I  _ think _ we’re friends.”

Mai nodded. If anyone would have told her past self she’d ever think of Hinata as a friend, she would have stabbed them in disbelief. Her present self, though, wasn’t against the idea. She had grown attached to the guy in the weeks he had been living here.

Was that what Hinata wanted to tell her? That he wasn’t against their parents’ wishes for them to get married? What about all her years crushing on Zuko? She tried to search for a that I-want-a-relationship-feeling inside her and drew a blank. Was that a bad thing?

“Okay. We’re friends.” Hinata’s lips quirked into a smile. “I like the sound of that. And, I’d…like to keep it that way. Be friends. Just friends. I don’t want to have a relationship. Nothing against you,” he added quickly as Mai discreetly relaxed her body. “It’s me. I don’t want a relationship in general. I just don’t feel that feeling,” he shrugged. “I’d much rather have a bunch of really good friends. Like you.” He smiled nervously and pulled out a strawberry tart from behind him. He must have snuck it there when Mai wasn’t looking. “Tart?” He offered.

“I’m surprised you managed to keep one around that long without eating it,” Mai said sarcastically, taking the tart and biting into it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, i'd just like to reiterate that there won't be any new chapters anytime soon. at least until christmas and, even then, i may just want to chill and enjoy the holiday.
> 
> thanks for reading so far!


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